India and the UK have formalized a significant defense partnership with a £350 million ($468 million) contract to supply the Indian Army with Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM), manufactured by Thales in Belfast. The deal was announced during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official visit to Mumbai on October 8-9, 2025, where he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The LMMs, also called Martlet missiles, are versatile and laser-guided, capable of air-to-surface, air-to-air, and surface-to-air operations, with a range of up to 6 kilometers. The contract is expected to secure over 700 jobs at the Thales manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland, which produces similar missiles for Ukraine. This agreement is part of a broader strategic and defense collaboration, with negotiations underway for an expanded complex weapons partnership. Additionally, the visit saw signing of an implementing agreement valued at £250 million to advance cooperation on electric-powered naval engines, marking a milestone in naval technology. These defense deals reinforce the growing India-UK strategic partnership amid their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, aiming to boost bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030. British Defense Secretary John Healey emphasized the collaboration’s role in enhancing air defense and supporting UK industry and jobs.