The ASRAAM missiles, originally designed as air-to-air weapons for fighter jets, have been rapidly adapted by RAF engineers for ground launch. Working in collaboration with MBDA UK, based in Bolton, the adaptation was completed in just three months.
The missiles will be deployed via the UK-supplied RAVEN Ground Based Air Defence System, with five additional RAVEN systems to be delivered shortly. This will bring the total number of RAVEN systems provided to Ukraine to 13.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, and sending hundreds more air defence missiles will help Ukraine repel Putin’s attacks from the sky and bolster the protection of its citizens and infrastructure.” He added: “By using interest from immobilised Russian assets, we are demonstrating that Russia’s actions in Ukraine will not go unpunished.”
The funding comes under the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) scheme, designed to repurpose frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. This initiative is part of the UK’s wider commitment to increase military aid to Ukraine in 2025.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced in March a £1.6 billion agreement to deliver over 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine, generating 200 new jobs and supporting 700 more. The deal forms part of a record £4.5 billion in UK military assistance to Ukraine this year.
Alongside missile support, the UK will invest £350 million in 2025 to scale up drone supply to Ukraine, aiming to raise deliveries from 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 next year. The UK has already delivered around 400 different capabilities to Ukraine.
Recent aid packages include a £150 million tranche announced in February 2025, featuring drones, tanks, and air defence systems, and a £225 million package from December 2024, which included drones, boats, and munitions. In September 2024, the UK also provided 650 lightweight multirole missiles to support Ukraine’s defence.
Defence Secretary Shapps concluded: “This war is the challenge of our generation, and it is one we must meet with strength and determination.”
