UK developing ballistic missiles for Ukraine: Delivery timeline emerges
Photo: UK is developing ballistic missiles for Ukraine (Getty Images)
The United Kingdom has signed contracts with several companies to develop the country’s first ballistic missile in more than half a century, in an effort to support Ukraine and reduce Europe’s dependence on American weapons, according to Bloomberg.
According to the agency’s sources, the UK Ministry of Defense has simplified the technical requirements to speed up development and deliver the weapons to Ukraine in 2027.
Defense companies participating in the program, known as Nightfall, must successfully pass tests before receiving contracts to manufacture the missiles.
According to sources, preliminary contracts were supposed to be signed by March, but their conclusion was delayed by about two months.
Test launches are set to begin within 12 months, with deliveries scheduled for late 2027. Typically, the development and deployment of ballistic missiles take over a decade.
This program has two objectives: to provide Ukraine with the resources to repel a full-scale Russian invasion and to expand Europe’s own defense capabilities amid less reliable support from the United States.
UK developing low-cost long-range weapons for Ukraine
The United Kingdom is developing cheaper, domestically produced long-range missiles for Ukraine that will not rely on American components and could reach the front lines within a year.
The new missiles will likely be less accurate and less powerful than MBDA's Storm Shadow cruise missiles, but their cost will be roughly half as much.
Furthermore, the new missiles will contain no US components and will not use American data, ensuring their operational independence.
This was a key demand of the British government, which had expressed concern about excessive dependence on the US defense industry.
