That makes sense, they give the old but still viable stock to Ukraine saving the UK MoD the time and money required to de-mill time-expired

To be honest there won't be any close to time expired. I'd expect most of the current stockpile to be <5 years old...if not younger...
 
Why UK purchases LMM as a MANPADS and not Starstreak?

Buying LMM doesn't exclude future Starstreak purchases, as the launchers support both missiles, but I suspect LMM is priority as it is cheaper and is sufficiently capable against UAVs, which are the volume threat at present.

Mach 1.5 is more than adequate against a Shaheed, no need for Mach 3+.
 
Why UK purchases LMM as a MANPADS and not Starstreak?
LMM is a cheaper more versatile weapon albeit it slower, whereas Starstreak is optimised as an aircraft killer. It’s unclear as to if more Starstreaks have been produced/purchased, in 2022 the line was said to be near closure, but I don’t believe it has been.
 
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Cheaper yes, not necessarily more flexible. Starstreak has a very handy indeed secondary anti-tank capability, for example.
Depends how much the threat your facing needs a contact/prox fuse Armour Piercing/frag warhead compared to a direct hit with a small high KE body, albeit with a small contact detonated charge. I like the interoperability of launcher so long as both missiles are available.
 
Why UK purchases LMM as a MANPADS and not Starstreak?

LMM is supplementary to Starstreak. Better for dealing with targets that need a proximity fused warhead, and for slower targets. Starstreak will continue to be used against fast air and AH.

There will be a new order for Starstreak 2/3 in the near future...
 
Well it looks like Ukraine will be receiving in the near future a shitload of Martlet missiles, from Defense Updates:


Ukraine is set to get a significant capability boost with the help of Britain.
The UK has pledged over $213 million in new military aid to Ukraine, with the initial delivery of 650 Martlet or Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) to bolster Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression.
British Defence Secretary John Healey made the announcement during his first appearance at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting, held at the US Air Force Base in Ramstein. At this 24th gathering of the group, Healey reaffirmed the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine and urged international partners to maintain the flow of essential equipment for Ukraine's defense.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes why Russia should be worried about the supply of British Martlet missiles to Ukraine?
Chapters:
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:50 PACKAGE
04:04 MARTLET OVERVIEW
06:01 ANALYSIS
 

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