Britain Promises Ukraine 5,000 Drone-Killing Missiles. Russia Could Blast Through Them Fast.
5,000 missiles might sound like a lot—until you do the math. At current launch rates, they wouldn't last long.
The United Kingdom is buying 5,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles from arms firm Thales—and plans to donate them to Ukraine. The 13-kg LMM, fired one at a time from a shoulder launcher, ranges as far as 8 km under infrared guidance.
The 5,000 missiles, built at Thales’ Belfast factory, could cost as much as $3.4 billion. The UK government announced it will loan the money to the Ukrainian government—with generous repayment terms spread over 19 years.
The LMM buy, first floated in March, “is not only a major boost to the U.K.’s defense capabilities but will also keep Ukraine in the fight, boosting their defense against Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion,” the government in London stated.
But 5,000 missiles alone can’t keep Ukraine in the fight for very long. Russia is already overwhelming Ukraine’s air-defenses with vast numbers of explosive drones.
The LMM is just the thing to shoot down a relatively low- and slow-flying target such as Russia’s 200-kg Shahed attack drones, which range thousands of miles with 90-kg warheads.
At total cost of 3.4 billion, that comes to 680k per missile. If numbers are right certainly not cost effective way to take out Shaheds.