The Martlet lightweight multirole missile has achieved full operating capability with the Royal Navy, Thales has announced, in a significant expansion of the Wildcat helicopter’s operational envelope after a series of trials that extended the weapon’s firing parameters.

In service on Wildcat since 2020, Martlet has undergone extensive trials to broaden its capability beyond its original design parameters. The system was initially cleared to fire from altitudes above 500 feet against surface targets. It has now been successfully trialled firing from as low as 50 feet, allowing Wildcat crews to engage targets while operating below adverse weather and with greater precision against small to medium surface threats including fast inshore attack craft. The weapon has also been proven effective against aerial threats including unmanned aerial systems and helicopters.

Commander Andrew Henderson, Commanding Officer of Wildcat Maritime Force, described the milestone as transformative for the platform. “Martlet achieving FOC is a step-change for Wildcat. It has transformed the aircraft into a true multi-role strike platform. Already employed in the defence of UK interests in the Middle East to great effect, it allows us to engage and defeat a variety of threats from surface ships to airborne drones with precision and confidence, in all environments.”

The achievement makes Martlet the Royal Navy’s primary air-launched effector for strike, counter-UAS, and fast inshore attack craft missions. The weapon’s combination of low collateral damage, precision guidance, and now expanded altitude envelope positions it as a versatile tool across the range of threats Wildcat crews are likely to face in contested maritime environments.

Martlet has already seen operational use in the Middle East, where Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters have been flying defensive missions protecting British interests and partners in the region. The weapon is manufactured by Thales and is a derivative of the Starstreak high-velocity missile, adapted for the air-to-surface and air-to-air roles from a helicopter platform.