UK jobs and air defences boost with purchase of new missile launchers

• UK buying six new Land Ceptor air defence missile systems to bolster national security and defence.
• New contract with MBDA supports up to 140 jobs across the UK, demonstrating defence's role as an engine for growth and supporting the Government's Plan for Change.
• First live firing in the UK of system so accurate it can hit a tennis-ball sized object travelling twice the speed of sound (video download link, expiring in 2 days).

Britain's air defences are to be strengthened with the purchase of six new surface-to-air Land Ceptor missile systems, the Ministry of Defence has announced today (Friday 22 August).

The £118 million purchase will secure jobs and growth in the North-West, supporting up to 140 jobs including at manufacturer MBDA's site in Bolton, Lancashire, delivering on the Government's Plan for Change.

The systems will form part of Sky Sabre, a state-of-the-art defence system capable of intercepting cruise missiles, aircraft and drones.

It is hugely accurate, able to hit a tennis-ball sized object travelling twice the speed of sound. The sophisticated system can also simultaneously control the flight of 24 missiles, guiding them each to intercept separate targets at once.

The UK is doubling the number of deployable Sky Sabre systems operated by the Armed Forces in a drive to reinforce our air defences.

The purchase from MBDA will support up to 140 jobs across the UK, including at the site in Bolton, which earlier this year announced an expansion of 700 new jobs. Defence already supports 1,300 jobs at the facility, and over 5,000 more at other MBDA sites, contributing to economic prosperity in the North West and across the UK, and delivering on the Government's Plan for Change.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP, said:

“We are delivering on the Strategic Defence Review by equipping our armed forces with state-of-the art equipment to help keep us safe. Doubling our deployable Sky Sabre capability will strengthen the UK's air defences, protect UK forces abroad, and deter our adversaries.

“Through this investment we are supporting over 100 jobs across the UK, with more to come. We are implementing the government's Plan for Change with defence as an engine to drive growth, boosting our industrial capacity and national prosperity.”

The upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will set out how we will further drive defence as an engine for economic growth, building a resilient, high-growth industry and ensuring the defence dividend reaches every part of the UK.

This three-year contract will deliver six brand new MRAD (medium range air defence) Land Ceptor missile launching systems for use by the British Army at home and anywhere in the world. These launchers can be used on their own and are also a key component of Sky Sabre, a ground-based air defence missile system used to intercept cruise missiles, aircraft and drones. The system is comprised of three main elements: radar, command and control, and missile launcher.

In line with the UK's NATO-first approach, underlined in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), Sky Sabre was recently successfully tested in the QinetiQ-run range in Outer Hebrides as part of Exercise Formidable Shield. The NATO exercise saw the first live firing of the system in the UK. British Armed Forces have also deployed Sky Sabre in Poland as part of Operation Stifftail, strengthening the defence of NATO's eastern flank.

Chris Allam, Managing Director MBDA UK, said:

“We welcome this contract as it builds on our strategic partnership with the UK Ministry of Defence.

“Land Ceptor is an excellent example of the innovative capability that this partnership has produced and delivered to the British Army. Building these weapon systems has been a key part of our growth at our Bolton site and this contract helps us to sustain this expansion going forward.

“Manufacturing more launchers will provide more jobs and sustain many vital partners in our supply chain. Just as importantly, it will give the Army the decisive military capability and increased scale needed in Air Defence."

The UK is delivering on the SDR by equipping the Armed Forces to be dramatically more lethal, combining more people and armoured capability with air defence, communications, AI, software, long-range weapons, and land drone swarms. The additional Sky Sabre purchase comes on top of the up to £1 billion of new funding committed in the SDR for increased homeland air and missile defence.

Recently published figures show 151,000 UK jobs are directly supported by the MOD's spend with industry, an increase of 14,000 on the previous year, delivering on the government's Plan for Change by reinforcing our industrial capacity and boosting a defence dividend across the country.

Lieutenant Colonel James Boutle, Commanding Officer 16^th Regiment Royal Artillery, said:

“Sky Sabre represents a step change in the UK's ground-based air defence capability. As the Army's most advanced air defence system, it provides a powerful shield against modern airborne threats, from fast jets to precision-guided weapons and drones.

“For 16^th Regiment Royal Artillery, operating Sky Sabre is both a privilege and a responsibility – ensuring we are trained and ready to strengthen the UK's contribution to NATO when called upon. As part of this, we work hand-in-hand with industry partners such as MBDA here in the UK to continuously optimise the system to ensure it remains on the cutting edge – a collaboration that guarantees we stay ahead of adversary technology."

Notes to editors

• Sky Sabre, which replaced the older Rapier system, is composed of three key components: a Giraffe Agile Multi Beam 3D medium-range surveillance radar, a Battle Management and Intelligence suite for command and control, and the Land Ceptor launcher and missile system. 
• Defence Equipment & Support, the procurement arm of the Ministry of Defence, has awarded a three-year contract worth £118m to MBDA for the manufacture and delivery of six brand new MRAD (medium range air defence) Land Ceptor missile systems. The launchers fire CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular) missiles.
• DE&S is also delivering 12 fire unit support vehicles for ammunition, eight vehicles for baggage and eight threat evaluation and weapon assignment systems together with resource for spares to support Land Ceptor and the wider Sky Sabre system of systems.  

Peter Mackay, Head of Lethality and Protect- 1 Air and Missile Defence, at DE&S, said:

“Sky Sabre is a key capability for the British Army with its ability to intercept multiple targets simultaneously.

“The Land Ceptor launcher element of this system delivers proven high accuracy and speed, and this announcement marks a significant increase in the UK Armed Forces' ability to defend our nation and allies.”