Thales will help Ukraine with production of missiles for air defense

2 November, 2024 An FZ275 LGR missile with a semi-active homing head (HH) from the Belgian company Thales Belgium. Photo credits: Thales Belgium. The Belgian company Thales Belgium will help Ukraine in the joint production of missiles to counter drones.

This was announced by Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine. As part of the memorandum signed between Ukraine and Thales Belgium, the Belgian company will help Ukraine organize the joint production of 70 mm missiles. According to Smetanin, this cooperation may expand in the future to include the transfer of relevant technologies to Ukraine for the independent production of FZ275 LGR missiles.

An FZ275 LGR missile with a semi-active homing head (HH) from the Belgian company Thales Belgium.

Photo credits: Thales Belgium.

"This cooperation will strengthen the Ukrainian defense industry and the protection of the critical infrastructure from enemy drones," Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine stated. It should be noted that today the company produces a significant number of variants of unguided 70 mm missiles for use from helicopters, aircraft, as well as ground launchers to engage ground and air targets. The FZ275 LGR is currently the most technologically advanced variant of the FZ90 unguided aircraft missile, which is produced for export, including for Tiger helicopters used by Germany, Australia, Spain and France.

The missile was developed by the Belgian company Forges de Zeebrugge and is manufactured at the Erstal arms factory in Belgium. A variant with a semi-active homing head was tested in 2015, where South African Rooivalk helicopters were used for the tests.

Thanks to its unified 70 mm caliber, this missile will be able to be used with Vampire systems, which are used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to intercept enemy drones. They also use American missiles with a semi-active homing head called APKWS. Earlier, Militarnyi reported that the UK would supply Ukraine with 650 LMM light multipurpose missiles to strengthen its air defense.

The relevant contract was signed with the British company Thales UK, which specializes in the production of anti-aircraft weapons such as missiles and launchers.