Light laser-beam-riding missilecombat-provenpartial data

Martlet

Lightweight Multirole Missile, LMM

A light, supersonic laser-beam-riding missile fired from helicopters, vehicles or shoulder launchers at drones, helicopters and small boats.

$50,000 Per missile, without launcher. Press figure: The National reports $50,000 (39,000 GBP); The Times put it at 50,000 GBP and The Register at 59,000 to 71,000 GBP. The March 2025 Ukraine order (1.16 billion GBP for about 5,000 missiles) also bought launchers and vehicles, so it does not give a missile price.

Maker	Thales Air Defence (Thales UK)
Origin	United Kingdom
Built	Belfast, Northern Ireland
First combat	Russo-Ukrainian War, with UK-donated missiles after the 2022 invasion
Length	1.3 m
Span	0.26 m
Diameter	0.08 m
Weight	13 kg
Warhead	3 kg
Top speed	1,850 km/h
Max range	8 km
Propulsion	Two-stage solid rocket motor
Guidance	Laser beam riding from the launcher sight (UK missiles have no seeker); proximity and impact fuzing
Launcher	AW159 Wildcat helicopter (up to 20), Stormer and RapidRanger vehicles, shoulder-fired launcher, Rapid Sentry ground system

Thales officially quotes a ground-launched range of more than 6 km; press and Army Recognition give about 8 km, so treat 8 km as the upper figure. The UK has supplied Martlet to Ukraine in large numbers, including 650 in 2024, about 5,000 under a 2025 export-finance deal and 1,000 more pledged in February 2026. In 2026 Martlet-armed Wildcats and RAF Regiment Rapid Sentry units were sent to Cyprus and the Middle East against Iranian drones; claimed intercept counts come from UK press and are not officially confirmed.

Sources (18)