The UK has signed a £118 million contract with MBDA for the supply of six Land Ceptor air defence launchers, the Ministry of Defence confirmed. The procurement is intended to strengthen national security while creating and safeguarding up to 140 jobs nationwide. Officials said the move reflects the government’s dual goal of countering emerging aerial threats and driving industrial growth through defence investment.
Arriving at a critical juncture for the British Armed Forces and NATO partners, the decision comes against a backdrop of intensified Russian activity in Europe and the increased use of drones and cruise missiles in warfare.
The Land Ceptor, which forms the backbone of the Sky Sabre system, offers medium-range protection against fast jets, drones, and cruise missiles. It employs MBDA’s CAMM missile, with a reach of 28 km, and the CAMM-ER variant, extending to 45 km. The missiles carry a 10 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead with a laser proximity fuze and use an active radar seeker for precision targeting. The Sky Sabre also integrates Saab’s Giraffe AMB radar, covering 120 km, and Rafael’s SAMOC command-and-control centre. Demonstrating remarkable accuracy, the system can simultaneously direct 24 missiles and has hit targets as small as a tennis ball moving at twice the speed of sound.
