Ryan Jackson

I visited and spoke with specialists from the defence technology company Thales UK near Belfast. It is precisely here that Starstreak and LMM/Martlet air-defence missile systems are manufactured – systems we actively used to shoot down Russian Ka-52s and other enemy helicopters during the early stages of the full-scale invasion. These missiles are still widely used by the Defence Forces of Ukraine as short-range air defence weapons against Shaheds and other targets. The well-known NLAW anti-tank systems are also assembled at the Thales UK plant in Belfast. Ukraine and Thales UK have already established a long-term industrial partnership. All of this represents long-term investment, not a one-off transfer of weapons. This model also serves the interests of the United Kingdom: Ukrainian orders are already helping to scale up missile production at Thales UK in Belfast and restore the UK’s industrial air defence capabilities. So I will repeat what I recently said at the investment forum in London: for the United Kingdom and British companies, this is not only about supporting Ukraine – it is also an investment in their own national defence.