The UK Ministry of Defense is currently looking for British companies to design, develop, and supply the first three missiles. The contract is worth £9 million.

During a recent visit to Kyiv, British Defense Minister John Healey confirmed plans to develop and transfer Nightfall ballistic missiles to Ukraine, which in the future could reach Moscow from Ukrainian territory. According to him, Ukraine should be able not only to defend itself against Russian attacks, but also to strike back.

Healey recalls how his train was forced to make an emergency stop due to an attack by Russian missiles and drones on the night of January 9. Four people in Kyiv were killed in the Russian missile strike.

“It was a serious moment and a stark reminder of the barrage of drones and missiles hitting Ukrainians in sub-zero conditions. We won’t stand for this and are determined to put leading edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians as they fight back,” John Healey says.

Nightfall missiles

The United Kingdom’s plans to develop Nightfall ballistic missiles first became known in mid-2025. Even then, the British government began searching for companies capable of providing a design and the first missiles for testing within 9 to 12 months. At the same time, the military had a list of requirements for the new missile:

  • Minimum flight range – from 600 km

  • Minimum payload – from 300 kg

  • Platform – mobile launcher with at least two rockets ready for launch

  • Rocket preparation time – 10 minutes, rocket launch time – 15 minutes, launcher dismantling – 5 minutes

  • The cost of the rocket is no over £500,000

  • Separately, the developer must be able to manufacture at least 10 rockets per month.

In December 2025, the British state media resource BidStars revealed an official tender for the development of a missile. The tender stated that the United Kingdom wanted to quickly obtain a missile with a range of over 500 km and a warhead weight of at least 200 kg.

In 2025, Ukraine began serial production of Flamingo cruise missiles with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers. The first batches of missiles have already begun to actively arrive at the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

At the same time, the manufacturer of Flamingo, the Ukrainian company Fire Point, announced plans to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces with its first ballistic missile, which will be mass-produced, by the end of 2025. It was assumed that this would be a short-range ballistic missile (up to 500 km), which would receive the FP-7 index. In 2026, the development and deployment of the FP-9 ballistic missile with a range of 850 kilometers is being considered.