Britain has tested new long-range weapons that could soon be delivered to Ukraine to allow Kyiv to strike Moscow.<\/p>\n
New systems that can attack targets more than 300 miles away have been tested at a range in the Hebrides, with further trials taking place in the UK over the coming months.<\/p>\n
The experimental platforms, each carrying a 250kg warhead, could potentially reach Moscow, which came under intense Ukrainian drone bombardment earlier this week.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Ministry of Defence<\/a>\u00a0(MoD) challenged firms to build long-range strike weapons that can fly at more than 370mph, cost about \u00a3400,000 each and can be built at a pace of 20 a month.<\/p>\n Some 27 bids from industry were made with Dragon\u2019s Den-style pitches held last February, before six UK companies were awarded contracts worth around \u00a35m each to design prototypes for testing in just seven months.<\/p>\n By last December, only three suppliers remained:\u00a0MBDA UK<\/a>, which makes the Storm Shadow stealth missile,\u00a0MGI Engineering<\/a>, a UK small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) with a background in Formula 1 technology, and Rotron Aerospace, another UK SME with a history of working with the MoD.<\/p>\n The new missile being developed would complement the Storm Shadow. Click to enlarge<\/p><\/div>\n It is understood that the Hebrides launches saw all systems fire despite some minor technical hiccups, which were to be expected as part of the \u201cfail fast\u201d approach to the project, and which firms will now work to iron out before further trials.<\/p>\n The second phase of so-called Project Brakestop is now under way, with companies awarded follow-on contracts worth around \u00a315m for further development. British officials hope to deliver the first of the new systems to Kyiv within a year.<\/p>\n Louise Sandher-Jones, the new Armed Forces minister, said the weapons would \u201ccomplement\u201d others, such as\u00a0Storm Shadow missiles<\/a>, which allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia but carry a higher cost.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine, and we will continue to provide the support it needs to\u00a0defend itself against Russian aggression<\/a>,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n \u201cProject Brakestop shows what happens when we combine that commitment with the talent and ingenuity of British industry. In less than a year, UK companies have taken an ambitious concept from the drawing board to flight testing, delivering a new generation of capability at remarkable speed.\u201d<\/p>\n Western officials say Kyiv\u2019s battlefield performance has improved significantly in recent months, with Ukrainian drones pinning down Russian troops on the front line.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Storm-Shadow-infographic-resize.jpg\")
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