Britain is planning to supply Starstreak anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine as Russian forces close in on Kyiv to the east, the defence secretary has said.
According to a report by The Guardian, Britain will also send a ‘small consignment’ of Javelin anti-tank missiles and continue the supply of NLAW short-range anti-tank weapons to the war-torn country
File photo of a Starstreak missile system. AFP
Britain is planning to supply Starstreak anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine as Russian forces close in on Kyiv to the east, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said.
According to a report by The Guardian, Britain will also send a “small consignment of Javelin anti-tank missiles and continue the supply of NLAW short-range anti-tank weapons to the war-torn country.
Also read: Russia strikes new cities in Ukraine: Why the attack moving west is worrisome
Wallace told the House of Commons that the UK has already given Ukraine 3,615 portable missile systems.
The Guardian’s report noted that Ukraine has already received “900 man-portable anti-air missiles” – a reference to Stingers supplied by other Nato countries. However, it was seeking more arms as Russian forces attempted to encircle Kyiv.
“The capability needs strengthening. So in response to Ukrainian requests, the government has taken a decision to explore the donation of Starstreak high-velocity man-portable anti-air missiles,” Wallace said.
Let’s find out what are the starstreak missiles and how are they going to help Ukraine in war against Russia:
What are Starstreak missiles
Designed to provide close air defence against conventional air threats like fixed wing fighters and late unmasking helicopter targets, Starstreak is man-portable air-defence system {MANPADS or MPADS}.
The light weight of the missile at 14 kg makes it a versatile weapon that can be fired from lightweight land, sea and air platforms.
Its manufacturer, Thales Air Defence, says that it can be “deployed quickly into operations and is easy to integrate into a force structure.”
With a claimed range of more than 7km, Starstreak is a laser-guided precision weapon that has low collateral damage.
It is also reportedly the fastest short-range surface-to-air system in the world, with a peak velocity above Mach 3.
Flying at a speed three times the speed of sound, a Starstreak missile splits into three darts to puncture armour before the warhead explodes.
The mounted weapon system can take on three targets quickly without reloading.
In service since 1997 with the British Army, Starstreak missiles have been used by forces around the world, including the South African and Indoensian armies.
It can be seen as an equivalent of the US-made Stinger ground-to-air missiles that have been supplied by the US and other NATO countries to Ukraine to defend against the Russian invasion.
How could Starstreak missiles help Ukraine
Even though Ukraine still has medium-range air defence systems, it may falter in the face of low-flying Russian jets.
However, Russian jets that are flying low and fast are still vulnerable to attacks from Starstreak missiles, which are built for fast and short-range encounters.
It will work efficiently against Russian helicopters too, which are much slower than jets and would have little time to react to a Starstreak missile. The helicopters have already proven susceptible to MANPADS such as Stinger missiles.
With inputs from agencies
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