Britain’s Martlet Missile Cleared for Combat Use after Trials

Britain’s Martlet missile has been declared ready for front-line operations after final trials that destroyed aerial drones and surface targets during tests in Wales and the Mediterranean.

The Royal Navy fired the Lightweight Multirole Missile, known as Martlet, from Wildcat helicopters during exercises off the Welsh coast and later in France as part of NATO’s Exercise Wildfire. The missile hit drones and uncrewed boats, leaving “nothing but wreckage” after each engagement.

Built in Belfast, Martlet can reach one and a half times the speed of sound. The weapon will also be supplied to the Indian Army under a £350 million deal that supports 700 jobs in Northern Ireland. Several hundred missiles have already been delivered to Ukraine under the U.K. gifting program, five months ahead of schedule.

Lieutenant Commander Rhydian Edwards, who led the trials, said hitting the fast-moving drones was “like trying to kill a fly with a laser-guided dart.” He added that NATO partners described Martlet as “the only effective weapon against the uncrewed threat.”

The tests also confirmed the Wildcat helicopter’s .50 calibre M3M machine gun performance against small uncrewed targets. Martlet will operate alongside the heavier Sea Venom missile, which was cleared for service earlier this month.