The UK is looking to develop new short-range ballistic missile capabilities under ‘Project Nightfall’. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) wants the “rapid” ground-launched tactical ballistic missiles to be capable of striking targets within 10 minutes of being fired.
Defence procurement chiefs say the missiles must be launched from a mobile platform, and speed appears to be a key aspect of the requirement. In a contract notice published on Wednesday, the MoD states the ground vehicle/launcher and crew must be able to leave an area “ideally” in five minutes after firing. ‘Shoot and scoot’ tactics, the concept of firing and quickly moving to a new location to avoid enemy counter-fire, have been regularly used by Ukrainian artillery in the war against Russia.
The MoD added the launch time must also be fast, saying: “We envision all Nightfall effectors being fired from the same launcher within 15 minutes of stopping at a launch location.”
The department said it requires the ability to fire “multiple” (more than two) missiles from a single ground vehicle.
It wants the weapons to have a payload of around 300kg and travel on a ballistic trajectory “with some basic manoeuvrability”.
Powered by a rocket, or a series of rockets, ballistic missiles shoot upwards and then follow an arching unpowered trajectory before steeply descending to reach its intended target.
Some longer–range ballistic missiles even leave the Earth’s atmosphere and enter space.
However, the range the MoD is looking for is about 372 miles, which would classify it as a short-range ballistic missile, also known as a tactical ballistic missile.
Setting a price goal, the MoD said: “The target effector cost is £500,000 all-up per unit, excluding the warhead, launcher and any development costs.
“We are looking for technologies that can be packaged within 9-12 months to provide at least five all-up units for trials.”
The contract notice is in what is known as the “open early engagement stage”.
This means a procurement idea is currently active and in the “early stage of development and judging interest from potential suppliers”, with a closing date set for mid-September.
The MoD wants the technology to be resistant to electronic warfare attacks and said there must be potential for upgrades.
