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Missile

United Kingdom

Thales Group

Martlet (LMM)

Compact laser-guided missile developed by Thales UK for helicopters, fast jets, small boats and ground launchers, giving light platforms a precision strike capability against fast in-shore attack craft, light vehicles and drones. It arms Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters and has been supplied to Ukraine.

In service since 2021 · 2 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km range

1.5

Mach

kg warhead

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

UK export-licensed

Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.

Channel: Government-to-government or direct

Fielded & proven

Limited · 2 operators

In service since 2021. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.	1.5 Mach Stronger than 39% of missiles
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	8 km Stronger than 16% of missiles

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.	3 kg Bottom 5% of missiles
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.	Blast-fragmentation
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.	Semi-active laser homing

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	1.3 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	13 kg

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Solid-fuel rocket

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	2 Stronger than 33% of missiles

Specifications compiled from public Thales Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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