The Ukrainian army received Thales LMM Martlet multi-purpose guided missiles from the UK. These missiles are considered the most versatile in the world and are intended for use on helicopters, boats and land platforms, as well as as part of portable anti-aircraft systems.
Thales LMM Martlet missiles are designed to destroy various ground, surface and air targets.
At the heart of the LMM Martlet project in its final form is an original idea. A light guided missile with the necessary flight and combat characteristics was created, on the basis of which several different complexes were completed. The latter include their own launchers and a unified control unit.
The LMM missile is made in a cylindrical body with a pointed head. Near the fairing are rudders without the possibility of folding; folding stabilizers are placed in the tail. In the head compartment is the control equipment, behind it is the warhead, and the tail volume is given over to the engine. The length of the product without TPK is 1.3 m, the outer diameter is 76 mm. Weight - 13 kg.
The product is equipped with a combined guidance system, including tail receivers of laser radiation and an optical seeker under the head fairing. There are several operating modes. The missile can follow a laser beam, like a Starstreak product, or aim at a laser-illuminated target. In the final section of the trajectory, the infrared mode of the seeker is switched on.
The missile carries a cumulative fragmentation warhead weighing 3 kg. Undermining is carried out by a laser non-contact fuse, the windows of which are located behind the fairing. The parameters of the cumulative jet and the fragmentation field are not specified. It was only reported that the LMM effectively fights air targets and ground armored vehicles. But, presumably, the cumulative funnel is lined with tantalum, which suggests that the penetration of the product can be about 10-12 calibers, that is, about 760-910 mm of steel homogeneous armor.
The Martlet project used a dual-mode solid propellant engine, different from the engine on the Starstreak rocket. It accelerates the rocket only up to Mach 1.5, but provides a controlled flight of 8 km. It is assumed that the reduction in speed not only increased the launch range, but also simplified the process of control and guidance.
The LMM rocket carrier, regardless of its class, must have mounts for installing TPK and unified control equipment. The latter includes optoelectronic means with a night channel, a laser rangefinder-target designator and, in some configurations, an automatic target tracking.
For helicopters, a suspended launcher of the traditional type has been developed for five TPK "Lastochek". On ships and boats, it is proposed to install the DS30M Mk 2 installation with additional mounts for five missiles. In the MANPADS version, the Martlet missile is used with a control unit and other equipment from the Starstreak complex. In particular, the existing three-shot launcher placed on a tripod or on a suitable vehicle is fully compatible. At various exhibitions, medium-class UAVs carrying one or two LMM missiles were demonstrated.
Since 2020, serial LMM missiles have been supplied to the naval aviation unit of the British Navy. They are used by Wildcat helicopters. Since 2021, the universal missile system has been actively used in training events. The missiles are used against surface and coastal targets and show good results. Almost simultaneously with the fleet, the army received new missiles in the MANPADS version. She also uses them in target practice.
The main advantage of LMM is compatibility with different platforms. It simplifies the rearmament and supply of different types of troops, and also allows for more flexible defense in the near zone, hitting air and ground / surface targets. The Martlet differs from other rockets of its class in its optimized flight characteristics. So, by reducing the speed, it was possible to increase the range, and at the same time increase the time and simplify targeting by external means.
Of great interest is the combined guidance system. "Flying along the beam" when controlled from a carrier dramatically simplifies and reduces the cost of the rocket design, and also increases resistance to optoelectronic suppression. The infrared seeker, traditional for MANPADS, with all its advantages, has also been preserved. It works only on the final section of the trajectory, which reduces the requirements for it and also reduces the cost of the design.
Thales LMM Martlet missiles are designed to destroy various ground, surface and air targets.
At the heart of the LMM Martlet project in its final form is an original idea. A light guided missile with the necessary flight and combat characteristics was created, on the basis of which several different complexes were completed. The latter include their own launchers and a unified control unit.
The LMM missile is made in a cylindrical body with a pointed head. Near the fairing are rudders without the possibility of folding; folding stabilizers are placed in the tail. In the head compartment is the control equipment, behind it is the warhead, and the tail volume is given over to the engine. The length of the product without TPK is 1.3 m, the outer diameter is 76 mm. Weight - 13 kg.
The product is equipped with a combined guidance system, including tail receivers of laser radiation and an optical seeker under the head fairing. There are several operating modes. The missile can follow a laser beam, like a Starstreak product, or aim at a laser-illuminated target. In the final section of the trajectory, the infrared mode of the seeker is switched on.
The missile carries a cumulative fragmentation warhead weighing 3 kg. Undermining is carried out by a laser non-contact fuse, the windows of which are located behind the fairing. The parameters of the cumulative jet and the fragmentation field are not specified. It was only reported that the LMM effectively fights air targets and ground armored vehicles. But, presumably, the cumulative funnel is lined with tantalum, which suggests that the penetration of the product can be about 10-12 calibers, that is, about 760-910 mm of steel homogeneous armor.
The Martlet project used a dual-mode solid propellant engine, different from the engine on the Starstreak rocket. It accelerates the rocket only up to Mach 1.5, but provides a controlled flight of 8 km. It is assumed that the reduction in speed not only increased the launch range, but also simplified the process of control and guidance.
The LMM rocket carrier, regardless of its class, must have mounts for installing TPK and unified control equipment. The latter includes optoelectronic means with a night channel, a laser rangefinder-target designator and, in some configurations, an automatic target tracking.
For helicopters, a suspended launcher of the traditional type has been developed for five TPK "Lastochek". On ships and boats, it is proposed to install the DS30M Mk 2 installation with additional mounts for five missiles. In the MANPADS version, the Martlet missile is used with a control unit and other equipment from the Starstreak complex. In particular, the existing three-shot launcher placed on a tripod or on a suitable vehicle is fully compatible. At various exhibitions, medium-class UAVs carrying one or two LMM missiles were demonstrated.
Since 2020, serial LMM missiles have been supplied to the naval aviation unit of the British Navy. They are used by Wildcat helicopters. Since 2021, the universal missile system has been actively used in training events. The missiles are used against surface and coastal targets and show good results. Almost simultaneously with the fleet, the army received new missiles in the MANPADS version. She also uses them in target practice.
The main advantage of LMM is compatibility with different platforms. It simplifies the rearmament and supply of different types of troops, and also allows for more flexible defense in the near zone, hitting air and ground / surface targets. The Martlet differs from other rockets of its class in its optimized flight characteristics. So, by reducing the speed, it was possible to increase the range, and at the same time increase the time and simplify targeting by external means.
Of great interest is the combined guidance system. "Flying along the beam" when controlled from a carrier dramatically simplifies and reduces the cost of the rocket design, and also increases resistance to optoelectronic suppression. The infrared seeker, traditional for MANPADS, with all its advantages, has also been preserved. It works only on the final section of the trajectory, which reduces the requirements for it and also reduces the cost of the design.