NLAW order: 'Sometimes a weapon becomes an emblem of a conflict, like Spitfires and T-34s'

That’s the view from prominent NI economist Esmond Birnie, who suggested that the weapon’s role in halting Moscow’s ambitions means it might be considered as synonymous with Ukrainian victory as the Spitfire or T-34 tank are with the Allied victory in World War Two.

Dr Birnie, senior economist at Ulster University (and a former UUP MLA) was commenting in the wake of a huge new contract for the weapons from the UK government.

The MoD is buying £229 million-worth of the weapons, which are a joint project between Saab and Thales, amounting to “several thousand” units to be delivered by 2026.

The UK has already donated thousands of the shoulder-fired missiles to Ukrainian forces, who have used them widely to defeat convoys of Russian armoured vehicles – much to the evident surprise of the Kremlin, who had anticipated a quick victory over the relatively-small indigenous forces.

The weapons (which detonate above a tank, where armour is weakest) are worked on by some of the 600-or-so employees of the Thales factory in Belfast.

NLAW stands for “Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon” and they have been so effective that it has led to a rash of articles with titles like “Is this the end of the tank?” (in the Daily Telegraph).

Dr Birnie said: “Sometimes an individual weapon becomes synonymous with the outcome of a particular war: the British Spitfire plane or Russian T-34 Tank during the Second World War, for example.

"It is too early to say that the Saab/Thales NLAW light anti-tank missile system won the war for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

"But news that the UK Ministry of Defence is to buy $280m of those missiles during 2024-26 is evidence of that weapon’s effectiveness.

"Estimates put the cost to build a T-90 Russian main battle tank at about $4m, as compared to the cost of one NLAW at about $20,000-30,000 (in 2008).

“The Anglo-Swedish design missile (through Saab) is manufactured at Thales’ factory in East Belfast. That factory employs about 600 people (other notable products include the STARstreak anti-aircraft missile system- also provided in large numbers to Ukraine during the course of 2022).

"The NLAW represents a large part of the roughly 10,000 anti-tank weapons that the UK has donated to help Ukraine defend itself, so it was always likely that a large order would be coming to Belfast to replenish the stocks which had been run down here in the UK.”

More from this reporter:

1 – Protest at Belfast factory over ‘ludicrous nature of arms trade’ with Thales-built equipment aiding both Russia and Ukraine

2 – Politicians linking the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill to invasion of Ukraine are being 'stupid, insulting and nonsensical' says Wilson

3 – VIDEO: Belfast-based diplomat circulates messages warning that those who offend China stand to ‘perish by fire’ and risk ‘becoming enemies to 1.4 billion Chinese people’

4 – Ulster University under renewed pressure over ties to China as government pledges to get tough on eastern superpower