United Kingdom orders to Thales UK 200 STARStreak short-range surface-to-air missiles 1110137.

Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne MP said: “We saw during the Olympics last year how important our air defence capability is. This contract for 200 extra STARStreak missiles will not only provide our Armed Forces with a highly capable weapon, but it also secures hundreds of highly skilled defence jobs in Northern Ireland and should provide confidence to the export markets of the STARStreak system.”

The order has been placed to increase STARStreak stocks as part of the Government’s transformation agenda for the Armed Forces, Force 2020, to equip both the Regular and Reserve forces with the STARStreak systems.

Starstreak is a British short range surface-to-air missile or MAN Portable Air Defense System (also known as MANPADS) manufactured by Thales Air Defence (formerly Shorts Missile Systems), in Belfast.

David Beatty, Managing Director of Thales in Belfast, said, “Not only will this contract sustain jobs at our facilities in Northern Ireland, but it also demonstrates very clearly to our export customers the ongoing importance and trust that the UK MOD places in the STARStreak system and our design, manufacturing and support capabilities”.

The STARStreak missile systems, and its Air Defence Alerting Device, were deployed in the UK by the British Army during London 2012, where they were considered essential to the delivery of a safe and secure Olympic Games.

The Starstreak High Velocity Missile (HVM) is designed to counter threats from very high performance, low-flying aircraft and fast 'pop up' strikes by helicopter attacks.

The missile, which travels at more than three times the speed of sound, uses a system of three dart-like projectiles, allowing multiple hits on the target. HVM can be fired from the shoulder, from a lightweight multiple launcher or from the Stormer armoured vehicle.