Britain tests long-range missiles to help Ukraine bomb Moscow

Britain has tested new long-range weapons that could soon be delivered to Ukraine to allow Kyiv to strike Moscow, The Telegraph writes.

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.

The experimental platforms, each carrying a 250kg warhead, could potentially reach Moscow, which came under intense Ukrainian drone bombardment earlier last week.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) challenged firms to build long-range strike weapons that can fly at more than 370mph, cost about £400,000 each and can be built at a pace of 20 a month.

Some 27 bids from industry were made with Dragon’s Den-style pitches held last February, before six UK companies were awarded contracts worth around £5m each to design prototypes for testing in just seven months.

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 “fail fast” approach to the project, and which firms will now work to iron out before further trials.

The second phase of so-called Project Brakestop is now under way, with companies awarded follow-on contracts worth around £15m for further development. British officials hope to deliver the first of the new systems to Kyiv within a year.

Louise Sandher-Jones, the new Armed Forces minister, said the weapons would “complement” others, such as Storm Shadow missiles, which allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia but carry a higher cost.

“Project 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.”

Ukrainian forces launched nearly 200 drones at Moscow on Thursday, about 310 miles from the Ukraine-Russia border. It was the third consecutive day of attacks, which saw more than 1,000 drones fired at Russia in total.

Russia pledged to retaliate, with Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, warning Kyiv that “massive group strikes” would now be carried out “on a regular basis” against Ukraine.

G7 leaders promised Ukraine more air defence capabilities earlier this week, without specifying what type of weapons. Britain pledged to deliver 150,000 drones this year.

…Well, Britain itself is approaching its final days.

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