The UK is set to supply new interceptor missiles and launchers to its Armed Forces and Gulf partners to counter any future use of Iranian Shahed attack drones.
This was revealed by British Defence Secretary John Healey, who announced they were planning to buy the cutting-edge interceptor missiles that are expected to be delivered next month as part of an agreement with Cambridge Aerospace.
Mr Healey during his speech at the conference held over the weekend at the Bush House, King’s College London
The Skyhammer air defence system is designed to counter Shahed drones and has a range of 30km with a maximum speed of 700km/h.
Since the start of the US-Iran-Israeli war, Tehran has launched waves of cheap, mass-produced drones, including Shaheds.
An infographic shows threats faced by the latest Shahed-136 drones and how Iran could disrupt the Strait of Hormuz with these attack drones
In the first week of the Middle East conflict, Iran launched more than 1,000 drones, and it is estimated to have the capacity to produce around 10,000 per month.
The country’s latest generation of Shahed-136 drones has a range of 700 to 1,000km.
The Bahrain Defence Force has intercepted 516 Iranian drones and 194 missiles since the start of the conflict on February 28, according to the latest figures.
Subject to contract, the substantial first tranche of missiles and launchers will be delivered to the UK Defence Ministry in May, with more missiles and associated launchers set to be supplied within the first six months of the agreement.
The exact cost of the deal has not been disclosed by the British authorities, but it’s expected to be a “multi-million-pound contract to include integration, technical support and end-user training,” according to a statement by the Defence Ministry.
Mr Healey was speaking at the London Defence Conference that was held over the weekend, during which he addressed policymakers, industry and academia on a new era for defence and the importance of warfighting readiness.
“We are applying the approach for UK support to Ukraine and accelerating contracts with the most innovative British businesses to rapidly expand support to Gulf partners and equip our own forces with anti-drone tech,” said Mr Healey.
“Our government backing for Cambridge Aerospace is a prime case of a veteran-founded UK defence start-up scaling at pace to deliver new interceptor missiles within weeks for our Armed Forces and Gulf partners, and good jobs and security here in the UK.”
He said they were confident with the British start-up to deliver the goods.
“We’re going to see them, and within weeks, hundreds of interceptor missiles and launchers that will be able to put to our own forces and our allies within the Middle East to reinforce the air defences,” said the official.
Cambridge Aerospace chief executive officer Steven Barrett said with aerial threats to the UK and its allies were increasing by the day, adding that it is critical to defend effectively.
Skyhammer air defence system
“Skyhammer was designed to do exactly that – bringing affordable mass to protect our skies,” he added.
“We welcome the government’s commitment to supporting UK air defence with scalable, sovereign solutions.”
According to the company that was founded in 2024, development of Skyhammer began in January last year, with initial flight testing achieved within six weeks.
Since then, the system has undergone continuous, iterative testing on a weekly basis, ensuring effectiveness across varied operational scenarios and compatibility with a broad range of sensor systems. This enables rapid deployment as part of a layered air defence architecture.
Last month during a roundtable event in London, representatives from 13 key UK-based defence companies met Gulf ambassadors and defence attachés to explore new industry support for regional allies.
A new task force has been created by the UK’s Defence Ministry to collaborate across government to support partners across the Middle East working with British industry.
It will also manage the impact of the conflict on the UK defence supply chain and gather requirements for stock replenishment.
The UK continues to play a vital role in supporting Bahrain and its Gulf allies against the Iranian aggression with British fast jets and Royal Navy helicopters taking part in defensive missions.
This defensive deployment aligns with the UK government’s policy to protect British personnel, interests and partners in the Middle East, while avoiding escalation into wider conflict.
sandy@gdnmedia.bh
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