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British Army Pathfinder Regiment soldier NLAW (UK MoD) exam
BELFAST – The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Swedish manufacturer Saab have struck a new $280 million next-generation light anti-tank weapon (NLAW) contract that will see the British Army acquire “several thousand” shoulder-launched weapons.
The weapon has been popularly transferred by the UK to Ukraine as part of a defensive effort against Russia’s illegal aggression. Since February, Britain has supplied 10,000 anti-tank weapons to Kiev, according to a government report.
NLAW deliveries under the latest order are scheduled to run between 2024-2026 with assembly at Thales’ Belfast, Northern Ireland, manufacturing facility, according to a Dec. 7 UK MoD statement.
This lead time suggests that efforts to quickly restore the stockpile of munitions are not going as planned, 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 protects against main battle tanks that can be targeted at ranges of up to 800 meters and “combines the simplicity of light anti-armor weapons with the advantages of heavy, crew-operated guided missile systems,” the MoD said.
Related: Saab’s anti-tank systems may find new life thanks to Ukraine conflict, updated capabilities
The NLAW makes the “advancing” task of tracking an anti-tank platoon more difficult because soldiers armed with the 12.5Kg weapon are “difficult to find” according to Saab company literature. Unlike competing systems, the munition uses a “predictive” sight targeting capability as opposed to active targeting, and does not require a lock on a radar detection signature before launch. Simply put, this allows the operator to track the target in a matter of seconds and fire.
Such ease of use has fueled a high demand for weapons by Ukraine, which have been deployed to devastating effect against Russian forces.
As the UK looks to bolster its contribution to the war in Ukraine by sending additional weapons, the MoD added that it would consider replacing the equipment “promptly” provided from UK stocks. That position has been openly criticized by the UK political opposition to the ruling Conservatives, the Labor Party.
“It is not clear when [UK] The MoD will sign an agreement to restore other weapons and ammunition needed by the British military and to support Ukraine,” John Healy, shadow defense minister, said, according to a report in the Guardian newspaper.
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