Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled plans to manufacture over 5,000 air defence missiles in Belfast, marking a significant boost to both Ukraine’s military capabilities and the UK’s defence industry.
The announcement came during a press conference following an international leaders’ summit in London, where European leaders gathered to discuss strategies to support Ukraine amid ongoing conflict.
The £1.6 billion deal, funded through UK Export Finance, will see the missiles produced in Belfast, creating jobs in what Starmer described as “our brilliant defence sector.”
Around 200 new jobs will be created and hundreds more supported at one of the UK’s leading defence manufacturers, after the £1.6bn deal was announced by the Prime Minister today.
The latest measures in the UK’s support for Ukraine to achieve peace through strength, the deal will also provide a major boost to the UK economy and support 700 existing jobs at Thales in Belfast, which will manufacture more than 5,000 lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM) for Ukraine’s defence.
The deal will see production of LMMs at Thales’s factory treble and will also benefit companies in the Thales Supply Chain across the UK – putting more money in working people’s pockets.
It is the largest contract ever received by Thales in Belfast and the second largest MOD has placed with Thales, building on a previous contract with Thales, signed in September 2024 for 650 missiles. The first batch of missiles were delivered before Christmas, and this new contract will continue deliveries.
He emphasised the dual purpose of the initiative: protecting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure in the immediate term and strengthening its position for a lasting peace. “This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now… and strengthening Ukraine in securing the peace, when it comes,” Starmer said.
The missile production is part of a broader package of support for Ukraine outlined by the Prime Minister. Just a day prior, the UK signed a £2.2 billion loan for military aid, financed not by British taxpayers but through profits from frozen Russian assets. “We are doubling down in our support,” Starmer declared, underlining the government’s commitment to Kyiv.
Addressing the summit’s outcomes, Starmer highlighted the urgency of uniting European partners to secure “a just and enduring peace” for Ukraine, the UK, and Europe as a whole.
“The first priority of this government – of any government – is the security and safety of the British people… particularly in these volatile times,” he said. The Prime Minister linked this priority to last week’s announcement of the largest sustained increase in UK defence spending since the Cold War and his recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to reinforce the UK-U.S. defence partnership.
Starmer outlined a multi-step plan agreed upon with European leaders and Ukraine. The strategy includes maintaining military aid and economic pressure on Russia, ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and security in any peace deal, and enhancing Ukraine’s defensive capabilities to deter future invasions. He stressed that Ukraine must negotiate from “a position of strength” and rejected weak agreements like the Minsk accords, which he argued Russia breached with ease. “Any deal must be backed by strength,” he asserted.
The Prime Minister also proposed a “coalition of the willing” to defend a potential peace deal, with the UK prepared to contribute “boots on the ground, and planes in the air” alongside other nations. Whilst acknowledging that not every country may participate, he urged those able to act with urgency.
“Europe must do the heavy lifting… to support peace on our continent,” he said, adding that success hinges on strong U.S. backing, a point he discussed with President Trump. “We agree with the President on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver, together,” Starmer noted.
The summit concluded with a commitment to reconvene soon to maintain momentum. “We are at a crossroads in history today,” Starmer warned. “This is not a moment for more talk – it is time to act… and to unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.”
The Belfast missile deal and the broader support package signal a robust UK-led effort to bolster Ukraine whilst reinforcing domestic security and economic interests. As Starmer concluded, “Every nation must contribute to that in the best way that it can… all stepping up to their own share of the burden.”