UK buys ‘several thousand’ NLAW anti-tank missiles in $280 million deal with Saab

BELFAST — The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Swedish manufacturer Saab have struck a new Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) contract worth $280 million that will see the British Army acquire “several thousand” of the shoulder-launched munitions.

The weapon has been a popular one for the UK to transfer to Ukraine as part of the defensive effort against Russia’s illegal invasion. Since February, Britain has supplied 10,000 anti-tank weapons to Kyiv, per a government report.

NLAW deliveries under the latest order are scheduled to run between 2024-2026 with assembly taking place at Thales’ Belfast, Northern Ireland, production facility, according to a Dec. 7 UK MoD statement.

This lead time would appear to indicate that efforts to restore munitions stockpiles swiftly are not going according to plan, although 500 NLAW units, already approved in a “separate procurement,” are set for delivery to the UK in 2023, according to the MoD.

The NLAW system offers protection against main battle tanks that can be targeted at a range up to 800 meters and combines “the simplicity of light anti-armour weapons with the advantages of heavy, crew-operated guided missile systems,” said the MoD.

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NLAW makes the task of “advancing forces” tracking anti-tank platoons much more difficult because soldiers equipped with the 12.5Kg weapon are “harder to locate,” according to Saab company literature. Unlike competitor systems, the munition uses a “predicted” line of sight targeting capability as opposed to an active targeting one, nor does it require a lock on radar detection signature before launch. In simple terms, this allows an operator to track a target within a matter of seconds and fire.

Such ease of use has triggered high demand for the weapon by Ukraine, with it being put to devastating effect against Russian forces.

As the UK looks to strengthen its contribution to the war in Ukraine by sending additional weapons, the MoD added that it will look to replace “at pace” equipment “granted in kind from UK stocks.” That position has been openly criticized by the Labour Party, the UK’s political opposition to the ruling Conservatives.

“It’s not clear when the [UK] MoD will sign contracts to restock other weapons and ammunition needed for the British army and to support Ukraine,” John Healey, shadow defense minister said, according to a Guardian newspaper report.