Developed as the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) to meet the UK's "Future Air-to-Surface Guided Weapon (Light)" requirement, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) placed an initial order for 1,000 missiles with deliveries due to start in 2013.[2] However, initial operating capability was considerably delayed and took place in 2021 with full operating capability anticipated in 2024.[3][4] The missile was given the name "Martlet" in British service.[5]
The Lightweight Multirole Missile was initially conceived as Thales' response to the MoD's Future Air-to-Surface Guided Weapon (Light) FASGW(L) requirement. It was designed to be launched from a variety of naval, air and land platforms against a wide range of targets. High precision reduces collateral damage and makes the missile suitable for asymmetric littoral operations.[6] Development began in 2008 and the LMM uses technology from an earlier Thales (formerly Shorts Missile Systems) missile, the Starstreak.[7] Qualification testing and initial production commenced in late 2011, following an initial contract by the UK Ministry of Defence in April 2011. Thales has conducted successful guidance control firings, including a semi-active laser (SAL) version.
The MoD contract was for the design, development, and commissioning of a laser beam rider version of LMM, together with production of an initial quantity of 1,000 missiles. These are operated from the new AgustaWestland AW159 helicopters[2] and the current armoured and light role Starstreak ground-based air-defence batteries of 12 Regiment Royal Artillery and 106th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery. Thales graphics show helicopters carrying twin seven-round launchers. These were to enter service in 2015 but were considerably delayed. The contract was eventually funded by a deal to "re-role previously contracted budgets to facilitate the full-scale development, series production and introduction of the LMM."[citation needed]
LMM is intended to provide a single family of weapons that can be used in different modes, including:[8]
Maritime – LMM will be carried on the new AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopters of the Royal Navy for use against small surface vessels. ASELSAN of Turkey has developed dedicated mounting systems which can also enable the LMM to be launched from naval platforms such as fast attack craft.[9]
Surface-to-surface – The dual-effect (blast fragmentation and shaped charge) of the LMM's warhead makes it suitable for use against a wide range of ground targets including light/medium armour.
Air-launched – The missile's modular design allows for future development and introduction of alternative warheads and seekers.
In July 2014, Thales unveiled a modification of the LMM that turns it into a glide bomb, called the FreeFall LMM (FFLMM). Thales partnered with Textron to market it as the Fury for the U.S. market, who provides a height-of-burst sensor and electronic safe-and-arm device. The weapon had been in development for 18 months and undergone initial test drops in August 2013. In comparison to the LMM, the FFLMM removes the rocket motor and associated components while keeping the body and control actuators, as well as adding inertial navigation system and GPS navigation, semi-active laser guidance in place of the beam-riding system, and four enlarged fins for increased lift.
The bomb is not intended to replace larger munitions, but be used as a smaller and cheaper alternative to self-propelled missiles, with three bombs able to fit on a single Hellfire missile rail. It is 70 cm (28 in) long, weighs 5.8 kg (13 lb), and uses a 2 kg (4.4 lb) dual-effect shaped charge and pre-fragmented blast warhead for use against armoured vehicles, small boats, and personnel, with an operational range of 4 km (2.5 mi) when launched at 10,000 ft (3,000 m). A potential role for the Fury could be to arm medium intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) UAVs like the RQ-7 Shadow to deal with fleeting or time-sensitive targets.[11][12][13]
Surface-to-surface testing
In early 2019 HMS Sutherland tested a modified mounting for the 30 mm Automated Small Calibre Gun which incorporated a launcher for five Martlet LMMs, by firing four of them at a small speedboat target at the Aberporth range in Wales. The concept of mounting the missile alongside the 30 mm (1.181 in) Bushmaster cannon was tested just 5 months after the idea's conception.
The intended role of the Martlet is to further extend the Type 23 frigate's capabilities against small, fast-moving targets beyond the current 30 mm, general purpose machine gun and Minigun options to provide a long-range "stand-off" ability. As of 2019 it was not clear whether the Royal Navy intends to equip any more Type 23s with the system.[14]
Operational history
In May 2021, the Royal Navy deployed Martlet missiles for the first time as part of UK Carrier Strike Group 21. The missiles were carried by Wildcat HMA2 helicopters, four of which were deployed as part of the strike group.[15] The missiles were fired operationally for the first time in October 2021.[16]
The missile has been used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to shoot down multiple Russian aircraft during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. They have been launched from MANPAD shoulder launchers and also from the Alvis Stormer armoured air defence vehicle.[17] The systems were donated by the UK as part of a package of military aid.[18][19]
The missile was used by a Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter to strike a retired US Navy frigate during a SINKEX in September 2022 — the first time the missile had been used to strike a realistic target at sea, as opposed to purpose-built targets.[20]
Operators
United Kingdom - 1,000 missiles on order, deployed operationally with helicopters since May 2021
^Janes (23 November 2022), "Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM)", Janes Weapons: Air Launched, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited, retrieved 2 January 2023
^In focus: the Wildcat multi role helicopter in service with the Royal Navy, savetheroyalnavy.org, 4 February 2019
^"The Martlet missile – the Wildcat helicopter gets its claws | Navy Lookout". 15 June 2020.
^Type 26 Global Combat Ship(PDF), Ministry of Defence, 9 October 2014, p. 3, retrieved 24 November 2014
^"Thales's Lightweight Multirole Missile on show at IMDEX - Thales UK". Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^"Direct Sting: Thales Small LMM / FASGW-L Missiles". Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^"First production contract for Thales's Lightweight Multi-role Missile announced - Thales UK". Retrieved 23 July 2016.
^"Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis". IHS Jane's. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013.
^"Royal Marines Unleash New Lightweight Missiles". Royal Navy. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
^Thales Reveals 6-Kg Glide Bomb For UAVs - Aviationweek.com, 14 July 2015
^Textron's big hopes for its small guided bomb, Flightglobal.com, 14 July 2014
^Mini-Munitions Drawing Big Attention[dead link] - Defensenews.com, 14 July 2014
^"Navy's new anti-ship missile bang on target". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
^Scott, Richard (24 May 2021). "RN Wildcats field new anti-surface guided weapons for CSG21". Janes Information Services. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
^"Royal Navy Wildcat fires the first operational Martlet missile". NavyLookout. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^"The Stormer HVM air defense system destroyed air targets in the east of Ukraine".
^"First Russian drone destroyed by a new British Martlet missile in Ukraine". www.aerotime.aero. AreoTime Hub. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
^Ough, Tom (12 April 2022). "Watch: Ukrainian soldiers shoot down Russian drone with British Martlet missile". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
^"British and American forces obliterate former US warship during impressive test of firepower". Royal Navy. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
^🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker [@UAWeapons] (10 April 2022). "#Ukraine: The first video of a UK-supplied Martlet multirole missile - not a Starstreak as widely claimed - in action with the Ukrainian troops. As reported, it took out a Russian Orlan-10 UAV and this appears credible given the reaction, but we cannot see precisely what was hit. t.co/i6sP6649h6" (Tweet). from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022 – via Twitter.
^Brown, Nick (25 June 2014). . janes.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
^"The mortal enemy of fighter jets to drones, these are the three air defense missiles belonging to the Indonesian Army". BANGKAPOS (in Indonesian). 18 April 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
External links
Britain orders 1,000 Thales LMM missiles
(archived)
January 06, 2023
martlet, missile, martlet, lightweight, surface, surface, surface, surface, missile, developed, thales, defence, united, kingdom, named, after, mythical, bird, from, english, heraldry, that, never, roosts, martlet, lightweight, multirole, missilemartleta, roya. Martlet is a lightweight air to surface surface to air and surface to surface missile developed by Thales Air Defence for the United Kingdom It is named after a mythical bird from English heraldry that never roosts the martlet Lightweight Multirole MissileMartletA Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter equipped with Martlet missiles TypeLaser guided battlefield missile ASM SAM and SSM Place of originUnited KingdomService historyIn service2021Used byRoyal NavyArmed Forces of UkraineWarsRusso Ukrainian WarProduction historyManufacturerThales Air DefenceSpecificationsMass13 kg 29 lb Length1 3 m 4 ft 3 in Diameter76 mm 3 0 in WarheadHE blast fragmentation shaped chargeWarhead weight3 kg 6 6 lb DetonationmechanismLaser proximity active Wingspan260 mm 10 in Propellant2 stage solid propellantOperationalrange8 km 4 3 nmi 5 0 mi Maximum speed gt Mach 1 5 510 m s 1 670 ft s GuidancesystemSAL LBR mode A IR terminal homing mode B IIR terminal homing mode C INS GPS mode D LaunchplatformAgustaWestland AW159Schiebel Camcopter S 100BAE FuryThales Watchkeeper WK450ReferencesJanes 1 Developed as the Lightweight Multirole Missile LMM to meet the UK s Future Air to Surface Guided Weapon Light requirement the Ministry of Defence MOD placed an initial order for 1 000 missiles with deliveries due to start in 2013 2 However initial operating capability was considerably delayed and took place in 2021 with full operating capability anticipated in 2024 3 4 The missile was given the name Martlet in British service 5 Contents 1 Development 2 Description 3 FFLMM Fury 4 Surface to surface testing 5 Operational history 6 Operators 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksDevelopment Edit The first operational live firing of a Martlet missile by the Royal Navy in October 2021 A Schiebel Camcopter S 100 UAV fitted with a Martlet missile The Lightweight Multirole Missile was initially conceived as Thales response to the MoD s Future Air to Surface Guided Weapon Light FASGW L requirement It was designed to be launched from a variety of naval air and land platforms against a wide range of targets High precision reduces collateral damage and makes the missile suitable for asymmetric littoral operations 6 Development began in 2008 and the LMM uses technology from an earlier Thales formerly Shorts Missile Systems missile the Starstreak 7 Qualification testing and initial production commenced in late 2011 following an initial contract by the UK Ministry of Defence in April 2011 Thales has conducted successful guidance control firings including a semi active laser SAL version The MoD contract was for the design development and commissioning of a laser beam rider version of LMM together with production of an initial quantity of 1 000 missiles These are operated from the new AgustaWestland AW159 helicopters 2 and the current armoured and light role Starstreak ground based air defence batteries of 12 Regiment Royal Artillery and 106th Yeomanry Regiment Royal Artillery Thales graphics show helicopters carrying twin seven round launchers These were to enter service in 2015 but were considerably delayed The contract was eventually funded by a deal to re role previously contracted budgets to facilitate the full scale development series production and introduction of the LMM citation needed Thales test fired an LMM from a Schiebel Camcopter S 100 demonstrating a potential for use from unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs Description EditLMM is intended to provide a single family of weapons that can be used in different modes including 8 Maritime LMM will be carried on the new AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopters of the Royal Navy for use against small surface vessels ASELSAN of Turkey has developed dedicated mounting systems which can also enable the LMM to be launched from naval platforms such as fast attack craft 9 Surface to surface The dual effect blast fragmentation and shaped charge of the LMM s warhead makes it suitable for use against a wide range of ground targets including light medium armour Air launched The missile s modular design allows for future development and introduction of alternative warheads and seekers Surface to air In July 2019 the Air Defence Troop of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group tested LMMs in a surface to air mode against Meggitt Banshee target drones 10 FFLMM Fury Edit Textron Fury mockup at IDEX 2017 In July 2014 Thales unveiled a modification of the LMM that turns it into a glide bomb called the FreeFall LMM FFLMM Thales partnered with Textron to market it as the Fury for the U S market who provides a height of burst sensor and electronic safe and arm device The weapon had been in development for 18 months and undergone initial test drops in August 2013 In comparison to the LMM the FFLMM removes the rocket motor and associated components while keeping the body and control actuators as well as adding inertial navigation system and GPS navigation semi active laser guidance in place of the beam riding system and four enlarged fins for increased lift The bomb is not intended to replace larger munitions but be used as a smaller and cheaper alternative to self propelled missiles with three bombs able to fit on a single Hellfire missile rail It is 70 cm 28 in long weighs 5 8 kg 13 lb and uses a 2 kg 4 4 lb dual effect shaped charge and pre fragmented blast warhead for use against armoured vehicles small boats and personnel with an operational range of 4 km 2 5 mi when launched at 10 000 ft 3 000 m A potential role for the Fury could be to arm medium intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ISR UAVs like the RQ 7 Shadow to deal with fleeting or time sensitive targets 11 12 13 Surface to surface testing EditIn early 2019 HMS Sutherland tested a modified mounting for the 30 mm Automated Small Calibre Gun which incorporated a launcher for five Martlet LMMs by firing four of them at a small speedboat target at the Aberporth range in Wales The concept of mounting the missile alongside the 30 mm 1 181 in Bushmaster cannon was tested just 5 months after the idea s conception The intended role of the Martlet is to further extend the Type 23 frigate s capabilities against small fast moving targets beyond the current 30 mm general purpose machine gun and Minigun options to provide a long range stand off ability As of 2019 it was not clear whether the Royal Navy intends to equip any more Type 23s with the system 14 Operational history EditIn May 2021 the Royal Navy deployed Martlet missiles for the first time as part of UK Carrier Strike Group 21 The missiles were carried by Wildcat HMA2 helicopters four of which were deployed as part of the strike group 15 The missiles were fired operationally for the first time in October 2021 16 The missile has been used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to shoot down multiple Russian aircraft during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine They have been launched from MANPAD shoulder launchers and also from the Alvis Stormer armoured air defence vehicle 17 The systems were donated by the UK as part of a package of military aid 18 19 The missile was used by a Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter to strike a retired US Navy frigate during a SINKEX in September 2022 the first time the missile had been used to strike a realistic target at sea as opposed to purpose built targets 20 Operators Edit United Kingdom 1 000 missiles on order deployed operationally with helicopters since May 2021 Ukraine Appeared being used in the surface to air role by Ukraine forces during the Russo Ukrainian War 21 Indonesia Ordered on June 2014 22 Unknown numbers 23 See also EditSea Venom missile FASGW H CRV7 PG Hermes missile Precision guided derivatives of Hydra 70 rocket Roketsan Cirit List of missilesReferences Edit Janes 23 November 2022 Lightweight Multirole Missile LMM Janes Weapons Air Launched Coulsdon Surrey Jane s Group UK Limited retrieved 2 January 2023 a b Britain orders 1 000 Thales LMM missiles UPI In focus the Wildcat multi role helicopter in service with the Royal Navy savetheroyalnavy org 4 February 2019 The Martlet missile the Wildcat helicopter gets its claws Navy Lookout 15 June 2020 Type 26 Global Combat Ship PDF Ministry of Defence 9 October 2014 p 3 retrieved 24 November 2014 Thales s Lightweight Multirole Missile on show at IMDEX Thales UK Retrieved 23 July 2016 Direct Sting Thales Small LMM FASGW L Missiles Retrieved 23 July 2016 First production contract for Thales s Lightweight Multi role Missile announced Thales UK Retrieved 23 July 2016 Defense amp Security Intelligence amp Analysis IHS Jane s Archived from the original on 26 January 2013 Royal Marines Unleash New Lightweight Missiles Royal Navy 4 July 2019 Retrieved 5 July 2019 Thales Reveals 6 Kg Glide Bomb For UAVs Aviationweek com 14 July 2015 Textron s big hopes for its small guided bomb Flightglobal com 14 July 2014 Mini Munitions Drawing Big Attention dead link Defensenews com 14 July 2014 Navy s new anti ship missile bang on target www royalnavy mod uk Royal Navy 16 July 2019 Retrieved 19 July 2019 Scott Richard 24 May 2021 RN Wildcats field new anti surface guided weapons for CSG21 Janes Information Services Retrieved 20 October 2021 Royal Navy Wildcat fires the first operational Martlet missile NavyLookout 22 October 2021 Retrieved 25 September 2022 The Stormer HVM air defense system destroyed air targets in the east of Ukraine First Russian drone destroyed by a new British Martlet missile in Ukraine www aerotime aero AreoTime Hub 11 April 2022 Retrieved 11 April 2022 Ough Tom 12 April 2022 Watch Ukrainian soldiers shoot down Russian drone with British Martlet missile The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 12 April 2022 British and American forces obliterate former US warship during impressive test of firepower Royal Navy 23 September 2022 Retrieved 23 September 2022 Ukraine Weapons Tracker UAWeapons 10 April 2022 Ukraine The first video of a UK supplied Martlet multirole missile not a Starstreak as widely claimed in action with the Ukrainian troops As reported it took out a Russian Orlan 10 UAV and this appears credible given the reaction but we cannot see precisely what was hit t co i6sP6649h6 Tweet Archived from the original on 23 April 2022 Retrieved 24 April 2022 via Twitter Brown Nick 25 June 2014 DVD 2014 Indonesian SAMs break cover promising enhanced anti UAV capability janes com Archived from the original on 7 July 2014 Retrieved 6 November 2022 The mortal enemy of fighter jets to drones these are the three air defense missiles belonging to the Indonesian Army BANGKAPOS in Indonesian 18 April 2022 Retrieved 23 September 2022 External links EditBritain orders 1 000 Thales LMM missiles Lightweight Multirole Missile Janes archived Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Martlet missile amp oldid 1131039577, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
