In a recent series of tests, a Martlet missile, designed to neutralise small, fast-moving threats, was extensively tested to the boundary of its capabilities.

Conducted by the Operational Advantage Centre (Maritime Warfare), the Royal Navy’s leading organisation on tactical development, the trials took place in the skies above Wales, utilising a Wildcat helicopter from the 815 Naval Air Squadron based in Yeovilton.

The trial, aptly named ‘Triton’s Arrow’, was a groundbreaking event for the squadron, marking its first successful firing against an aerial target. “Improving lethality and operational advantage in support of front-line operations is at the core of what the centre stands for,” states the Royal Navy.

The trials, supported by 744 NAS and 825 NAS, aimed to broaden the missile system’s potential applications in a variety of circumstances and threats. The rigorous two-week-long trials put the Martlet to the test, proving its ability to neutralise threats equivalent to small, fast-moving crafts like speed boats and jet skis, as well as airborne threats such as drones.

The Wildcat HMA Mk2 helicopter, which can carry up to 20 Martlet missiles, adds to the protective “ring of steel” formed around the UK’s Queen Elizabeth-class carriers. The missile detaches from the helicopter in a mere 0.3 seconds, accelerating to one and a half times the speed of sound towards its target.

During the trials, a Wildcat helicopter successfully fired Martlet against moving water targets and, for the first time, a Banshee drone.

Commander Stuart Crombie, Commanding Officer of 815 NAS, noted the proven “devastating air-to-air lethality that the Wildcat offers” and positioned the new capability as unique amongst the world’s military helicopters.

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George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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25 COMMENTS

  1. I wonder if these could be considered for use on the OPVs? Lightweight multirole missile could add additional firepower at (limited?) cost. Could take out smuggling/pirate vessels from further out.

  2. Fitting a mini gun pod would be sufficient to take down 99% of UAVs. Martlett would only come into its own against an armed UAV so engaging it at range.
    I’m just wondering whether starstreak or asraam would fit onto the Wildcat?

    • Starstreak is the parent guidance package from which it is derived – Martlet was developed to be helicopter launchable.

      ASRAMM is too big, heavy and complex but does have a different level of range.

      • I note that their overlap means Starstreak and Martlet can be fired from the same launcher which is why there has been confusion in Ukraine. So I suppose theoretically it could be adapted to Wildcat but I’m sure there are other technical issues to consider that might be problematical compared to ground launching and I would presume Wildcat would not expect to be used in anti helicopter and anti aircraft capacities so I guess that’s why they developed Martlet in preference to then updating Starstreak a decade ago.

    • I believe Helstreak was even tested on Apache but just like the two Seastreak variants, the end of the Cold War put an end to that.

  3. I’m curious if Martlet could also be used as an air defensive weapon against incoming missiles……given that the front end has a lot of similarity to Starstreak it is not impossible? In the AA role it uses a proximity fuze already.

    It would certainly enhance the survivability of the platform and therefore its ability to work in contested environments.

    Of course it all depends on which version of the Banshee it was tested against!

    • I recall Davey explaining on a few occasions that HVM Starstreak requires the target to be kept in sight by the operators, so surely an incoming ASM would be too fast to track compared to a helicopter?

        • It has additional modes including, I think, IR and possibly/probably OE.

          Thales website states “Laser Guidance Unit integrated in the L3 MX15 Electro Optic Turret”

          But Wiki states “ Air-launched – The missile’s modular design allows for future development and introduction of alternative warheads and seekers.”

  4. For airborne drone swarms the ability to target and fire a star streak type missile with multiple darts could be useful. Depends if drone swarms are actually going to be a thing.

    • One thing we are learning recently in Ukraine be it Starstreak, Martlet or Stinger they simply can’t target the helicopters using the latest Russian missiles as they have something like a 15 mile range I believe. This is a serious problem that needs to be sorted be it for Ukraine or our own needs in future conflict. Seems to me without the compromise of using larger less practical and thus survivable systems close to the front, you need to employ drones to launch these missiles rather like the Bae project we saw late last year and the drone Martlet test launch platform we saw more recently. Still not ideal though as they would have to operate over enemy territory for the most part and you would need a lot of them to cover against potential targets so even they may prove vulnerable and expensive to lose, but beyond this it looks like we are going to need a drone system carrying anti air missiles with nearer 10 miles range it seems to me to truly counter such helicopters, that’s around 3 times or so of the above missiles so it’s not looking like an easy solution. Just as I was thinking battlefield helicopters were looking too vulnerable too. Any ideas?

  5. I am seeing Wildcat being 50-100km from the force tackling missile firing TB-2 drone types. That said i think a air to air Stinger would be lighter and better.

    Philippines Wildcats have Mistral

    • Stinger is something very different. It was the first MANPAD with a decent IR seeker and a proper software lock-on.

      Now there are other ways of achieving the same objective – particular when you have an advanced platform with really good sensors.

        • No, please no……it was so useless……

          To assist Ukrainian efforts we should leak the Blowpipe designs to Putin…..that would either set them back year through wasted efforts or kill most of their technical people as they split their sides laughing…..

          The thing you can be certain of with Blowpipe…..there is almost zero chance of hitting a real world target.

          • My cunning plan was that once leaked Putin would have to start a ruinously expensive and time-consuming genetic engineering program to produce three armed soldiers. And thus be able to use blowpipe, sort of.

        • Blowpipe like Starstreak need the operator to follow the target. It is not fire a forget like a Stinger or a Mistral

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