UK signs £350m deal to supply India with air defence missiles and launchers

The UK has signed a £350 million deal to supply the Indian Army with air defence missiles and launchers.

The lightweight-multirole missiles will be made in Northern Ireland, securing more than 700 jobs, the Ministry of Defence said.

The same type of weapon is already being manufactured for Ukraine at the Thales plant in east Belfast.

The missiles, which are capable of flying at 1.5 times the speed of sound and striking targets more than 6km away, can be used to attack enemy vehicles, boats and drones.

A separate agreement worth an initial £250 million has also been signed to advance UK-India collaboration on electric-powered engines for naval ships.

It comes during Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s two-day trade mission to Mumbai, and as the UK Carrier Strike Group takes part in joint air and naval exercises with the Indian navy in the western Indian Ocean.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “The defence deals announced today show how our growing strategic partnership with India will boost UK business and jobs.

“I am hopeful that this will pave the way for a deeper relationship between our two defence industries, particularly in the development of electric engines for naval ships and in air defence.

“As we deepen our defence relationship with India, we will harness the UK defence industry as an engine for growth, securing vital jobs in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK.”

It was announced in March that Thales was to supply 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth up to £1.6 billion, in a contract funded by a loan underwritten by United Kingdom Export Finance.