UK accelerates ballistic missile development to arm Ukraine

The United Kingdom has signed contracts with several defence companies to develop its first tactical ground-launched ballistic missile in more than 50 years, as London seeks to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities while reducing Europe's dependence on US-made weapons, Bloomberg reports.

According to the report, the UK Ministry of Defence has revised the technical requirements for the Nightfall missile program in an effort to accelerate development and deliver the system to Ukraine by the end of 2027. The ministry declined to comment on the reported changes to the project's specifications.

The first test launches are expected to take place within the next 12 months. Under the original design, the missile was intended to have a range of more than 600 kilometres, but the revised requirements reportedly reduce that to 500 kilometres. The planned warhead weight has also been scaled back from 300 kilograms to 200 kilograms to speed up development.

The initiative forms part of broader European efforts to bolster Ukraine's long-term defence capabilities and expand the continent's independent military-industrial capacity.

Separately, on July 14, Ukraine reached an agreement with France to deepen cooperation in defence manufacturing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Paris intends to grant Kyiv licenses to produce SCALP long-range cruise missiles and AASM Hammer precision-guided aerial bombs. France also plans to work with Italy on the joint production of Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, further strengthening Ukraine's domestic defence industry.

By Vafa Guliyeva