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Martlet (missile)

Martlet or the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) is a lightweight air-to-surface, air-to-air, surface-to-air, and surface-to-surface missile developed by Thales Air Defence for the United Kingdom. It is named after a mythical bird from English heraldry that never roosts, the Martlet.

The LMM was developed from the Starburst surface-to-air missile to meet the UK's "Future Air-to-Surface Guided Weapon (Light)" requirement to equip the Royal Navy's AW159 Wildcat helicopters and supplement the heavier Sea Venom missile by the engagement of smaller and manoeuvrable naval craft.

A glide variant of the LMM known as FreeFall LMM (FFLMM) or Fury is designed as a lighter munition to equip drones and is currently slated to equip the British Army's Dispensing Rocket Payload for the GMLRS-ER and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) placed an initial order for 1,000 missiles with deliveries due to start in 2013. However, initial operating capability was considerably delayed and took place in 2021 with full operating capability now only anticipated in 2025.

Development

The Lightweight Multirole Missile was initially conceived as Thales' response to the MoD's FASGW(L) or Future Air-to-Surface Guided Weapon (Light) requirement. FASGW consisted of both a heavy and light system. The heavy requirement would become the Anglo-French developed Sea Venom designed to replace the Sea Skua as a helicopter launched anti-ship weapon for use against fast-attack-craft, landing craft and larger vessels such as Corvettes. The light requirement was to be a new weapon optimised around defeating fast-in-shore-attack-craft particularly in response to the force structure of the Iranian Navy.

Thales submitted a redesigned Starburst missile (the predecessor to Starstreak) which would maintain the use of a SACLOS guidance system as means of overcoming the tight rules of engagement present in in-shore waters and ensuring continued effectiveness against low-reflectivity targets. It was designed to be launched from a variety of naval, air and land platforms against a wide range of targets. High precision reduces collateral damage and makes the missile suitable for asymmetric littoral operations in areas of tight rules of engagement restrictions.

Qualification testing and initial production commenced in late 2011, following an initial contract by the UK Ministry of Defence in April 2011. Thales has conducted successful guidance control firings, including a semi-active laser (SAL) version. The MoD contract was for the design, development, and commissioning of a laser beam rider version of LMM, together with production of an initial quantity of 1,000 missiles.

Characteristics

The LMM weighs approximately 13 kilograms (29 lb) with a length of 1.3 metres (4 ft 3 in) and a diameter of 76 millimetres (3.0 in). The weapon is guided using a SACLOS system but Thales have proposed a variety of additional seekers including a semi-active laser, terminal Infrared, and GPS/INS systems.

LMM can be operated from variety of platforms. Martlet has been integrated onto the Royal Navy's AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopters which across two weapon wings and four total weapon stations can hold up to 20x missiles, alternatively a mix load of 10x Martlets and 2x Sea Venoms can be carried, or a weapon wing can be removed to allow for a mounted gun on one side.

The British Army has integrated LMM on their current armoured (Stormer) and light role Starstreak ground-based air-defence batteries of 12 Regiment Royal Artillery and 106th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery to supplement Starstreak.

Other platforms have also been trailed or conceptualised. In early 2019 HMS Sutherland tested a modified mounting for the 30 mm Automated Small Calibre Gun which incorporated a launcher for five Martlet LMMs, by firing four of them at a small speedboat target at the Aberporth range in Wales. The concept of mounting the missile alongside the 30 mm (1.181 in) Bushmaster cannon was tested just 5 months after the idea's conception. The intended role of the Martlet is to further extend the Type 23 frigate's capabilities against small, fast-moving targets beyond the current 30 mm, general purpose machine gun and Minigun options to provide a long-range "stand-off" ability. As of 2019 it was not clear whether the Royal Navy intended to equip any more Type 23s with the system. A 2023 report suggested that the tests had not been deemed successful due to efflux management issues on the Type 23.

A number of other surface launch options have been conceived for the LMM such as standalone launchers as well as concepts for LMM to be mounted to other gun systems as the Thales' 40mm RAPIDfire. LMM and in some cases FFLMM have also been publicly tested by a variety of uncrewed air vehicles (UAVs) including a Schiebel Camcopter S-100, Flyby Technology's Jackal, and the Hydra 400.

FFLMM/Fury

In July 2014, Thales unveiled a modification of the LMM that turns it into a glide bomb, called the FreeFall LMM (FFLMM). Thales partnered with Textron to market it as the Fury for the U.S. market, who provides a height-of-burst sensor and electronic safe-and-arm device. The weapon had been in development for 18 months and undergone initial test drops in August 2013. In comparison to the LMM, the FFLMM removes the rocket motor and associated components while keeping the body and control actuators, as well as adding inertial navigation system and GPS navigation, semi-active laser guidance in place of the beam-riding system, and four enlarged fins for increased lift.

The bomb is not intended to replace larger munitions, but be used as a smaller and cheaper alternative to self-propelled missiles, with three bombs able to fit on a single Hellfire missile rail. It is 70 cm (28 in) long, weighs 5.8 kg (13 lb), and uses a 2 kg (4.4 lb) dual-effect shaped charge and pre-fragmented blast warhead for use against armoured vehicles, small boats, and personnel, with an operational range of 4 km (2.5 mi) when launched at 10,000 ft (3,000 m). A potential role for the Fury could be to arm medium intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) UAVs like the RQ-7 Shadow to deal with fleeting or time-sensitive targets.

At DSEI 2023, it was shown that the British Army's Dispensing Rocket Payload being developed for the GMLRS-ER and PrSM will utilise a variant of FLMMM as a kinetic effector for use against armoured vehicles alongside Lockheed Martin UK's Outrider UAS for ISTAR.

Operational history

In July 2019, the Air Defence Troop of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group tested LMMs in a surface-to-air mode against Meggitt Banshee target drones.

In May 2021, the Royal Navy deployed Martlet missiles for the first time as part of UK Carrier Strike Group 21. The missiles were carried by Wildcat HMA2 helicopters, four of which were deployed as part of the strike group. The missiles were fired operationally for the first time in October 2021.

Following the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the UK donated an unknown quantity of Martlet to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of a military aid package. They have been launched from MANPADS (man-portable air-defense system) shoulder launchers and also from the Alvis Stormer armoured air defence vehicle.

Martlet was used by a Royal Navy AW159 Wildcat helicopter to strike a retired US Navy frigate during a SINKEX (SINK EXercise) in September 2022 — the first time the missile had been used to strike a realistic target at sea, as opposed to purpose-built targets.

In October, 2022, LMM was successfully fired from Flyby Technology's Jackal drone (capable of carrying two missiles) during trials with the Royal Air Force.

In July 2023, the Royal Navy further trialled Martlet from Wildcat helicopters over the course of two-weeks; during which, the first air-to-air firings of Martlet took place against a Banshee drone.

In September 2023, Taiwan placed an order for 160 Jackal drones from Flyby Technology. However it is unclear if they intend to use LMM from the platform.

In November 2023, the UK's Army Warfighting Experiment (Urban) saw both the British Army and Royal Air Force trialling a variety of technologies to exploit future urban combat; this included both LMM and FFLMM among other weapons (e.g. Brimstone) and payloads integrated onto the Hydra 400 and other UAVs.

Operators

Current operators

Indonesia - Ordered in June 2014. Unknown numbers.
Saudi Arabia - Fielded as part of the Shikra air defence system.
United Kingdom - 1,000 missiles on order, deployed operationally with helicopters since May 2021; full operating capability projected in 2025
Ukraine - Appeared being used in the surface-to-air role by Ukraine forces during the Russo-Ukrainian War