Overview
- Nightfall specifies ground-launched missiles with 200 kg conventional warheads and ranges beyond 500 km, following supersonic ballistic trajectories.
- Requirements call for accuracy within 10 metres for 50% of launches, resilience to electronic warfare, and operation in heavily contested environments.
- Launch units must support salvo firing from mobile platforms and leave the firing area within 15 minutes to reduce vulnerability.
- Each selected industry team would deliver three test missiles within 12 months for live firings, with production goals of 10 missiles per month and a per-missile cap of £800,000.
- The announcement comes after recent Russian strikes, including an Oreshnik ballistic launch near Lviv during Defence Secretary John Healey’s trip, and it is intended to bolster Ukraine while informing future UK long‑range programs.