British MoD awards Thales UK a £98 million air defence missile contract
Thales UK won a five-year contract to maintain the SHORAD capability for the British Army and Royal Marines. The £98.4 million (US $136 million) deal will secure 119 jobs at the company’s facility in Belfast.
The British MoD has awarded a £98.4 million (US $136 million) contract to Thales UK to maintain Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) capability for the British Army and Royal Marines. The agreement was announced on 04 March on the MoD’s website.
The deal confirms a five-year extension to the initial contract the company won in 2018 to support the modernisation and development of the missile systems as part of the Future Air Defence Availability Project (F-ADAPT).
SHORAD is made up of High Velocity and Lightweight Multi-role Missile systems that can intercept air threats including fast jets, attack helicopters and UASs in a matter of seconds.
This agreement ‘ensures the vital air defence capabilities, capable of dealing with a multitude of threats, are maintained and readily available to deploy,’ Minister for Defence Procurement claimed.
The SHORAD missile systems can be fired from three platform variants: Shoulder-Launch for single fire, Lightweight Multiple Launcher capable of firing three missiles via a tripod (pictured) and Self-Propelled launcher designed to fire up to eight missiles from a Stormer armoured vehicle.
In addition to providing air defence, the contract will also secure 119 jobs at Thales UK’s Belfast site and more roles in the wider Northern Ireland supply chain.
This is the second multi-million defence deal awarded to a Northern Ireland-based industry this year. In January, Spirit AeroSystems in Belfast, won a £30 million (US$ 41 million) agreement for the UK’s first uncrewed fighter aircraft supporting over 100 local jobs.
More from Land Warfare
-
![Engineering and design mean smaller vehicles can be tank killers but is it a good idea?]()
Engineering and design mean smaller vehicles can be tank killers but is it a good idea?
The eulogy for the dedicated tank hunter or buster appears to have been written with most armies putting them out to retirement in the face of alternatives like longer-range missiles or uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). However, arming infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) or armoured personnel carriers (APCs) with medium-range missiles seems to indicate some kind of tank killer is required.
-
![Light tanks for Slovakia – cost-effective alternative or false economy?]()
Light tanks for Slovakia – cost-effective alternative or false economy?
Slovakia is currently considering replacing its Soviet era main battle tanks (MBTs) with lighter alternatives. However, the lower cost of these platforms may prove to be a false economy if they cannot compete with true MBTs.
-
![How can multiple domains act as one?]()
How can multiple domains act as one?
How can we sense, make sense, and act faster than the adversary?
-
![FNSS adds punch to Pars to increase appeal]()
FNSS adds punch to Pars to increase appeal
FNSS’s Pars family of vehicles is looking to capitalise on export growth as it increases the punch of its 4×4 Wheeled Armoured Combat Vehicle (WACV).
-
![Spira’s Ilgar loitering munition in service]()
Spira’s Ilgar loitering munition in service
Armed forces are now procuring large numbers of loitering munitions with many developers having evolved their own designs to meet this burgeoning demand. Turkey’s Spira is one such company and is fulfilling contracts and developing new missiles.
