Thales Missile Factory for 5000 Air Defense Missiles to Ukraine

The Thales Missile Factory in Belfast should supply 5,000 air defense missiles to Ukraine, the Prime Minister announced.

The transaction costs up to 1.6 billion pounds and provides a set of 200 additional employees.

Thales is a French company that is one of the largest weapons manufacturers in Europe.

The order is intended for light multicole missiles (LMMS) that Ukrainian forces already use.

A $ 162 million contract announced in September last September, 650 LMMS is shipped to Ukraine as an initial production order with the first supplies in December.

The new order is much higher: it follows the initial £ 1.16 billion with the possibility of £ 500 million to be added in cooperation with the Ukrainian partner.

The affiliate firm will produce launchers and drive and drive vehicles for rockets in Ukraine.

The UK Defense Ministry said this is the largest contract, which is received in Belfast.

Defense Minister John Hill said the transaction “will help protect Ukraine from drones and missiles and help to restrain further Russian aggression after any end of the fighting.”

The contract was placed in the field of procurement and support of the Ukrainian government.

It will be financed on a loan signed in the UK for export funding (UKEF) after the transaction signed last year to allow Ukraine to raise Ukef’s support for £ 3.5 billion to spend with the UK industry.