The new contract, initially valued at £1.16bn with potential extensions up to £500m, will see Thales Northern Ireland working alongside a Ukrainian industry partner.

The UK has signed a £1.6 billion deal to supply more than 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine that will be manufactured in Belfast. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Sunday that the lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM) will be made in Northern Ireland, creating 200 jobs.

The Thales arms factory in Belfast will manufacture 5,000 air defence missiles for Ukraine as part of a deal worth up to €1.9 billion (£1.6 billion), British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said.

The lightweight multirole missiles (LMMs) will be manufactured at the Thales weapons factory in Belfast, and supplied to Ukraine using export finance

An order for a missile factory in Belfast to supply 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine is "hugely significant" for the workforce, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday announced a new 1.6 billion pound ($2 billion) deal that would allow Ukraine to purchase 5,000 air-defence missiles using export finance. Britain's Ministry of Defence said Thales will manufacture the lightweight-multirole missiles for Ukraine.

A Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter equipped with the Martlet missile system First Minister Michelle O'Neill has described a UK government deal for a Belfast factory to supply air defence missiles to Ukraine as "incredulous".

Northern Ireland's First Minister has said she is "incredulous" at a large order for a Belfast company to supply missiles for Ukraine.

The prime minister said 'nobody wants to see that' after an angry clash between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky was televised on Friday.