Britain is postponing deliveries of Nightfall missiles to Ukraine due to technical difficulties
The United Kingdom continues to actively develop new long-range missiles for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The first of the latest Brakestop cruise missiles could enter service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces as early as the end of 2026, while the timeline for the delivery of Nightfall ballistic missiles remains uncertain due to technical and financial challenges.
The Brakestop project, which is being implemented under the auspices of the UK Ministry of Defense on behalf of Ukraine, is expected to yield its first results by the end of 2026. That is when the first prototypes of the new cruise missile are expected to be ready.
Initially, these munitions were scheduled to be delivered to Ukraine as early as the fall of 2025, but due to production issues, the timeline has been pushed back by about a year and a half.
At the same time, the British side is also working on another project for the Ukrainian Armed Forces—the Nightfall ballistic missile. It was officially launched in August 2025, nearly a year after the start of the Brakestop program.
From the very beginning, the development of Nightfall has proceeded with significantly less publicity, as the project encountered a number of difficulties that forced the British Ministry of Defense to revise the initial requirements for the future missile.
In particular, the minimum range was reduced from 600 to 500 kilometers. The requirements for the warhead were also adjusted—its weight was reduced from 300 to 200 kilograms.
The requirements for target accuracy have also changed. While the initial plan was to ensure a deviation of no more than five meters, the acceptable margin was later increased to ten meters.
In addition to the above, the projected cost of the missile has also increased significantly.
Moreover, while the project was initially estimated to cost around 500,000 pounds per unit, this figure was later revised upward to 800,000 pounds, or approximately one million dollars.
It was not until the spring of 2026 that the British government signed contracts for the rocket’s development with three unnamed manufacturers, whose names have not yet been disclosed.
Currently, the officially announced timeline calls for the development of prototypes within a year of the contracts being signed. According to the initial plan, the first deliveries of Nightfall to Ukraine may not begin until late 2027.
It is expected that once production begins, the manufacturers will be able to produce at least ten such missiles per month. However, the final timeline for the project’s implementation remains uncertain.
This was reported by Defence Express.
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