Britain is buying six new highly accurate missile systems in a deal worth £118 million. The purchase of the additional Land Ceptor launchers is a welcom and needed boost for Britain’s air defences amid warnings the UK would be unable to repel a Russian missile attack like those seen in Ukraine.
The sophisticated systems will form part of the Sky Sabre defence system designed to intercept cruise missiles, aircraft and drones. Land Ceptor provides the stopping power within the system and offers high levels of accuracy, capable of striking a tennis-ball-sized object travelling twice the speed of sound. It comes as the Government plans to double the number of deployable Sky Sabre systems.
Armed Forces Minister Luke Minister said this will “strengthen the UK’s air defences, protect UK forces abroad, and deter our adversaries”.
Sky Sabre replaced the ageing Rapier system in 2021 after more than 40 years of service.
The short and medium range air defence missile system is made up of three separate components: radar, command and control and missiles.
It can simultaneously control the flight of 24 missiles, guiding them each to intercept separate targets at once.
The Land Ceptor fires 99kg Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMM) — double the weight of its Rapier predecessor and three times the range (around 25 miles).
The new mobile systems are being delivered as part of a three-year contract with manufacturer MBDA, securing 140 jobs across the UK.
They can be used on their own, or as part of Sky Sabre, but cannot be used against ballistic missiles.
Britain’s only defence against such attacks — like those carried out by Vladimir Putin’s forces on Ukraine — are the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers.
This has led to calls for the UK to procure an Iron Dome-style air defence system similar to that of Israel’s.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that drills on a simulator showed the UK would not be able to fend off a Russian aerial assault.
The wargames replicated Russia’s attack on the first night of the war in Ukraine to test Britain’s defences.
Air Commodore Blythe Crawford, who retired as Commandant of the UK’s Air and Space Warfare Centre in April, said it was “not a pretty picture”.
The new purchase comes on top of £1 billion of new funding committed in the Strategic Defence Review for increased homeland air and missile defence, the Ministry of Defence said.
Sky Sabre was recently tested as part of a NATO exercise in the Outer Hebrides and has been deployed to Poland, as part of an alliance mission bolstering its eastern flank against Russia.