The UK Officially Resumes Development of NIGHTFALL Tactical Ballistic Missiles

The UK Ministry of Defence has officially moved forward with the development of a new tactical ballistic missile under the NIGHTFALL project.

An announcement published on December 9 on the official government platform BidStats confirmed that the Ministry is seeking industry partners for a short-term development program.

In November, the defence ministry stated that it was reviewing industry responses to an initial request for information related to the system.

Defence Minister Luke Pollard told Parliament that a competition to implement the project is planned to be announced by the end of the year.

According to the stated requirements, the United Kingdom is seeking a cost-effective, ground-launched ballistic missile with a range of approximately 600 kilometers.

The missile is intended to be launched from a mobile platform and be suitable for use in environments with high tactical threat levels and a complex electromagnetic environment.

The system must retain combat effectiveness in the absence or degradation of satellite navigation and provide accurate strikes against fixed targets.

The missile’s explosive payload is approximately 200 kilograms, and the launch will follow a ballistic trajectory.

The expected accuracy is a circular error probable (CEP) of up to 10 meters for 50% of launches.

The project provides the capability to launch multiple missiles in a salvo from a single launcher, followed by the unit’s withdrawal within 15 minutes.

The Ministry of Defence also requires a production capacity of at least 10 missiles per month, with the ability to scale up production and further modernize the system.

The UK recently also stated that it would consider transferring NIGHTFALL ballistic missiles to Ukraine after their development is completed.