Stockpiles of Lightweight Multirole Missiles used to intercept Iranian drones will be built up as part of a £36 million deal with arms manufacturers, it was confirmed today.

The proven capability LMMs were used by RAF Regiment troops based in northern Iraq to protect a multinational Special Forces base.

The secret camp near Erbil was targeted consistently during the conflict. To counter the Iranian threat UK troops launched LMMs from their Rapid Sentry ground-to-air system.

The LMM missiles were also fired from Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters protecting the RAF Akrotiri base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

The missiles are manufactured in Belfast where Thales factories support 700 highly skilled defence industry jobs.

The deal was signed off by the UK’s newly appointed National Armaments Director who has a mandate to build up Britain’s stockpiles.

Shelves have been cleared since 2022 as Britain has led European efforts to support Ukraine following Russia’s illegal invasion.

Efforts to protect UK assets and allies in the region involved more than 1,000 British troops including fast jet squadrons and counter-drone teams.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: ‘Our defence industry is the backbone of our armed forces. This is our new partnership with industry in action.

‘These interceptor missiles are battle-proven, successfully used by RAF sharp-shooters over recent months. With these LMMs our armed forces will continue to keep the UK and our partners secure in the Middle East and beyond.’