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 Thales missile factory in Belfast is to supply 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine, the prime minister has announced. The deal is worth up to £1.6bn and will involve recruiting 200 additional staff.

The missiles will be produced at Thales in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the order will create 200 jobs and support 700 existing ones.