UK Expands Sky Sabre With £118m Defence Deal

The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £118 million contract to MBDA for the supply of six additional Land Ceptor air defence launchers, strengthening the country’s Sky Sabre system. The announcement, made on 22 August 2025, underlines Britain’s commitment to bolstering national security and supporting domestic defence industry jobs.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the procurement is expected to sustain up to 140 jobs across the country. The deal forms part of the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to align defence investment with industrial growth while addressing the rising threat from modern airborne weapons.

The Land Ceptor launchers form the core of Sky Sabre, the UK’s ground-based air defence system. Designed to counter fast jets, drones, and cruise missiles, the system employs MBDA’s Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) and its extended-range version, CAMM-ER. These missiles have engagement ranges of 28 kilometres and 45 kilometres respectively, using active radar guidance and a high-explosive fragmentation warhead to neutralise incoming threats.

Sky Sabre integrates the Land Ceptor launchers with a Saab Giraffe Agile Multi Beam 3D radar, capable of detecting targets at distances of up to 120 kilometres. A Rafael SAMOC command-and-control centre links the system, enabling simultaneous guidance of up to 24 missiles. Defence officials highlight the system’s accuracy, with test results showing its ability to strike objects as small as a tennis ball travelling at twice the speed of sound.

This latest procurement expands the number of available Land Ceptor launchers, ensuring greater coverage and resilience in defending UK territory and deployed forces. The move comes against a backdrop of heightened European security concerns, with Russian military activity and the increasing use of drones in modern warfare pushing NATO members to reinforce their air defences.

Ministerial statements emphasised that the investment is aimed as much at industrial resilience as at military capability. By working with MBDA, a major UK defence company, the government aims to secure domestic jobs while maintaining interoperability with NATO allies.

The reinforcement of Sky Sabre marks one of several steps the UK is taking to modernise its armed forces. Alongside naval and air investments, this procurement highlights the government’s broader effort to adapt to evolving security threats and ensure that the British military remains prepared for future challenges.