Belfast-built missiles are back at the centre of government business. On 18 March, ministers gathered 13 UK defence firms with Gulf ambassadors and defence attachés to discuss rapid support for partners facing Iranian attacks. Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain’s forces are “only as strong as the industry that supports” them, with FCDO minister Hamish Falconer and the MoD’s National Armaments Director Rupert Pearce underlining the urgency. (gov.uk)

The Ministry of Defence confirmed it intends to purchase further Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) for UK units and to back partners in the Gulf, with training offered here in the UK where required. The LMM-known as Martlet at sea-has already been used for air defence in the Middle East, and officials stressed the focus on defensive kit and counter‑drone technology deliverable at pace. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Iraq and Jordan were represented at the meeting. (gov.uk)

For readers in the North, the signal runs straight through Castlereagh in east Belfast, where Thales manufactures LMM. A previous £176m MoD order in July 2024 supported 135 jobs at the plant and doubled output as global demand for air defence grew after Russia’s invasion. The Royal Navy’s Martlet has since supported Operation Prosperity Guardian to help protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea. (gov.uk)

Capacity has stepped up again. The Irish News reported on 5 March 2025 that a government order for 5,000 LMMs for Ukraine-the biggest Belfast contract so far-would trigger around £100m of local investment, a third site and a workforce rise from roughly 700 to 900, with production set to treble. That growth now underpins the latest Whitehall push to supply allies quickly while replenishing UK stocks. (irishnews.com)

This isn’t just a Belfast story. The UK’s missile and air‑defence ecosystem leans north of the M62: MBDA’s Bolton operation remains a major production centre, and BAE’s Warton and Samlesbury sites anchor a Lancashire aerospace cluster that can help integrate new systems at speed. That depth matters if ministers want ideas turned into export‑ready kit within months, not years. (aerospace.co.uk)

Skills are the hinge. Recruitment at MBDA in the North West has been steady-open days and hiring rounds across 2025 signalled demand-while in Barrow a new BAE training centre and wider skills push reflect how defence orders translate into apprenticeships and graduate roles. Expect Thales’ Belfast expansion to keep technician pathways busy as schedules tighten. (mbdacareers.co.uk)

Inside Whitehall, the National Armaments Director has stood up a task force to speed financing and export licensing to Gulf partners, and to manage replenishment through UK supply chains. Ministers argue that cutting delays will help northern SMEs win alongside the primes-a recurring theme since Rupert Pearce took up the NAD role last autumn. (gov.uk)

Alongside the Gulf work, London and Kyiv have agreed a new partnership aimed at countering the spread of cheap, high‑tech hardware-especially drones-by sharing industrial know‑how. For northern firms in counter‑UAS software, sensors and components, that opens doors to joint R&D and test activity with a clear export route. (gov.uk)

Not everyone backs the expansion. The Irish News has covered regular protests at Thales’ Belfast plant over arms exports to the Middle East. As the MoD pursues faster licensing, communities across the North will expect firm safeguards on human‑rights compliance and end‑use controls to be set out in plain English, not buried in paperwork. (irishnews.com)

For now, the direction is clear: more British‑built defensive kit, delivered faster, with Belfast‑made LMM central to the offer. For manufacturers from Bolton to Barrow-and the apprentices coming through northern colleges-the opportunity is real, but so is the need to deliver parts, people and proof that the North can meet urgent timelines. (gov.uk)