Martlet Missile makes Wildcat Helicopter a frontline and fast boat killer for British Navy.

The British Royal Navy has cleared the Thales Martlet, also called Lightweight Multirole Missile, for frontline use on AW159 Wildcat helicopters following a series of day and night shots in the UK and off Hyères with the French Navy. Sea Venom reached initial operating capability on October 2, 2025, giving Wildcat crews a complementary light and heavy precision punch for drones, fast craft and corvette-class ships.

The British Royal Navy has confirmed Martlet is fully ready for operations on the Wildcat HMA2, a decision informed by an autumn sequence of live firings that hit both aerial and surface targets in Cardigan Bay and during the French Navy’s Wildfire exercise off Hyères. Photos and official readouts point to Wildcats flying with five-cell Martlet launchers, working alongside French Panther and NH90 helicopters, and fixed-wing Rafales, to run full detect to neutralise chains against uncrewed threats. In parallel, the service declared Sea Venom at initial operating capability on October 2, which restores a long range strike option that pairs naturally with Martlet for layered ship protection.
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Wildcat operates beyond heavy-machine-gun distances and within a zone where longer-range anti-ship missiles are not efficient (Picture source: UK MoD)

Over Cardigan Bay, Martlet teams used the Aberporth ranges to engage remotely operated surface craft representative of fast inshore threats. The aircraft then redeployed to southern France for Exercise Wildfire, where repeated waves of uncrewed systems were launched against a French naval force; Wildcats worked with Panther and NH90 helicopters and Rafale jets. Crews faced four targets: two small, highly agile fixed-wing Alba aerial drones and two surface targets, including one at night, moving at speed in the Mediterranean. Four Martlets were fired and four direct hits achieved. The aim was not a single showcase but the demonstration of the full effect chain, from detection to neutralisation, in a multinational setting.

Three technical characteristics stand out. First, speed and agility. Martlet accelerates to about Mach 1.5, which matters when the firing window is short against a small manoeuvring target. Second, guidance. The crew rides a coded laser beam to impact, providing precise aim-point control and suitability for cluttered littorals and busy straits. Third, Wildcat integration. A five-round launcher can be fitted on each wing and combined with Sea Venom on the outer station when a heavier effect is required, allowing payloads to be tailored for convoy escort or coastal interdiction without redesigning the mission. Royal Navy work-ups on destroyers place Martlet engagements at up to about six kilometres, consistent with recent training profiles.

Wildcat operates beyond heavy-machine-gun distances and within a zone where longer-range anti-ship missiles are not efficient. A quick sequence of single or paired shots can attrit drones and fast USVs before a ship’s self-defence systems are saturated. When Sea Venom is carried on the outer stations, the crew covers a spectrum from quadcopters and small boats to patrol craft and corvette-class vessels. The same trial plan evaluated the M3M .50-calibre machine gun to refine warning fire and last-resort responses at very short range, which is relevant in grey-zone interactions around infrastructure and in constrained waterways. As Lieutenant Commander Rhydian Edwards, Experimental Test Pilot within the Wildcat Maritime Force, put it, neutralising an Alba is “like trying to kill a fly with a laser-guided dart,” a vivid description of the required precision.

Operationally, the outcome is a layered defence that is more credible and immediately usable. Earlier Royal Navy trials showed the missile could down a fast drone in controlled conditions. This autumn’s firings transferred those results to a demanding multinational context with night work and varied targets, allowing squadrons to formalise procedures with confidence and apply them on carriers and escorts. Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, welcomed a capability “of precision against aerial and surface threats” that supports the United Kingdom’s security and reflects the defence sector’s role in the economy.

On 10 October, the UK government confirmed the delivery of several hundred Martlet missiles to Ukraine five months ahead of schedule under the UK gifting programme. On 9 October, London announced a £350 million agreement to supply LMM to the Indian Army, supporting around 700 jobs in Northern Ireland and deepening the defence relationship with a key Indo-Pacific actor. These developments reflect a wider trend across many navies. As drones in the air, on the surface and underwater become more common, demand focuses on precise, affordable effectors produced at a rate. Martlet’s full entry into service on Wildcat fits this trajectory and keeps the Royal Navy aligned with allies building multilayered counters to saturation tactics from the Black Sea to the Red Sea and across the broader Indo-Pacific.