UK Develops Low-Cost Long-Range Missiles for Ukraine

The UK is developing a new, low-cost, long-range weapon system for deployment in Ukraine that will function without US components or data, Bloomberg reported.

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the initiative, known as “Project Brakestop,” was launched in late 2024 and is operating on an accelerated timeline to provide support for Kyiv.

‘Project Brakestop’ details

Defense companies MBDA, MGI Engineering, and Rotron Aerospace are currently developing three competing weapon systems. Testing is scheduled to take place in the UK and Ukraine in the coming months, with the goal of deploying the new weapons to the front line within a year.

The new missiles are designed to carry a warhead weighing at least 225 kilograms and strike targets at a distance of over 500 kilometers. Officials state the new munitions will be less precise than the Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles but will cost approximately half as much. The target price per unit, excluding the warhead, is £400,000 ($529,320).

The participating companies have indicated they can produce at least 40 units per month within three to four months of receiving an order. They plan to sell the weapons directly to Ukraine or other European nations if they do not secure the primary UK defense contract.

A central requirement of the British government for Project Brakestop is that the missiles contain no US components and utilize no US data. This ensures the weapon systems maintain complete operational independence, addressing concerns regarding over-reliance on the US defense industry and potential restrictions on use.

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Expanded UK military support and maritime tensions

The development of the new missile systems aligns with a broader expansion of British military assistance to Ukraine. During the recent NATO Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels, the UK announced a £752 million ($996 million) military aid package for Kyiv.

Funded by the UK’s £2.26 billion ($2.99 billion) Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan, the package includes 150,000 drones, over 350 air-defense missiles, Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM), and ground-based radar systems. Delivery of all equipment is expected by the end of 2026. Furthermore, the UK confirmed it will assume command of the Multinational Force for Ukraine Headquarters (MNF-U) next month, with Major General Tom Bateman leading the coordination of long-term support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

These defense commitments occur against a backdrop of maritime incidents involving Russian vessels near UK waters. On Sunday, acting on orders from Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the UK executed its first direct military interdiction of a sanctioned Russian vessel, the Smyrtos, diverting the shadow fleet tanker to an anchorage off England’s south coast for inspection.

Two days later, the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots at a British-flagged civilian yacht in the English Channel after the vessel reportedly drifted close to the warship. The Russian frigate has been operating near British waters since April, escorting sanctioned shadow tankers. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that Royal Navy patrol vessels HMS Mersey and HMS Tyne were shadowing the Russian ship at the time of the incident.