The UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) Martlet weapons system, carried by the service’s Wildcat helicopters, has officially achieved full operational capability (FOC).
In a statement released on 21 May, manufacturer Thales stated that the missile – in service since 2020 – had also received capability upgrades alongside the process of reaching the FOC milestone.
The lightweight multirole missile provides the RN’s Leonardo AW159 Wildcat HMA2 helicopters with strike and power projection capabilities. This allows engagement against both surface and air targets.
In its statement, Thales said that additional capabilities developed for Martlet and tested in extensive trials included low-level launching at just 50 ft (compared to the missile’s original design launch height of 500 ft). This reduction enables small surface vessels to be targeted.
The development of capabilities enhances the Martlet’s ‘bow’, providing additional functionality in a ‘counter-UAS’ role against uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). Several Wildcats capable of deploying Martlet were sent to Cyprus in March as part of the UK’s defensive measures in response to threats to Cyprus and other national interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, which were spilling over from the US/Israel versus Iran conflict in the Gulf. Some of these Wildcats were stationed ashore at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus; notably, an Iranian UAV striking the base partly prompted the UK to deploy defensive assets in the region. Other defensive assets included the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon, an air-defence vessel with an embarked Wildcat also capable of handling Martlet.
In the Thales statement, Commander Andrew Henderson – Commanding Officer (CO) of the Wildcat Maritime Force – stated that “Martlet achieving FOC is a step-change for Wildcat: it has transformed the aircraft into a true multi-role strike platform.”
“Already deployed to defend UK interests in the Middle East effectively, [Martlet] enables us to engage and defeat a variety of threats from surface ships to airborne drones with precision and confidence, in all environments,” Cdr Henderson added.
Wildcats can carry up to 20 Martlets, mounted on hardpoints on removable wings of the aircraft’s fuselage. The 13 kg missile is designed to utilise various targeting sensors, including both lasers and seekers.
In March, the UK announced the purchase of more Martlet missiles, particularly to support the c-UAS requirement. The move followed the system’s deployment to the Middle East.
by Dr. Lee Willett
