New Delhi: As part of ongoing defence cooperation between India and the United Kingdom, a key agreement has been reached for the supply of Martlet light, multi-role missile systems to the Indian armed forces, the central government has said. The deal is expected to bolster India’s defence capabilities by adding a highly versatile, portable missile option to its inventory.
The Martlet missiles are being developed by Thales Air Defence of Belfast, Ireland. Named after the tireless bird of legend, Martlet is a lightweight, multi-purpose weapon system capable of engaging air and surface targets. Designed with laser-beam guidance, the missile can be employed in air-to-air, air-to-surface, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air roles. It is effective against drones and armed vehicles, can be shoulder-launched by personnel, linked to armed vehicles, or fired from helicopters and ships. Weighing about 13 kg, the Martlet travels at roughly 1.5 times the speed of sound and has an operational range of approximately six kilometres. The system has been in UK military service since 2019 and has also been deployed by Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
India has signed a $468 million deal with #Thales for the supply of #Martlet Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) to the #IndianArmy. pic.twitter.com/5f4vR6zqP6
— News IADN (@NewsIADN) October 9, 2025
Separately, Britain’s luxury engineering firm Rolls-Royce has shown interest in collaborating with the Indian Navy on the design and development of the country’s first indigenous electric warship. Rolls-Royce is expected to partner on propulsion technology, providing hybrid-electric and fully electric propulsion systems for the project, officials indicated.
The introduction of Martlet and potential foreign partnerships on advanced naval propulsion reflect India’s broader push to modernize its defence infrastructure through international collaboration and adoption of cutting-edge military technologies.