The UK has decided to modernize very short-range air defence systems. Defence Minister Andrew Stuart made a statement about modernization. Starstreak short-range air defence systems will be modernized, the minister said during a visit to Belfast. A £ 93 million agreement was signed for the modernization program to be carried out under the F-ADAPT (Future Air Defence Availability Project) Project. After the completion of the project, the systems will be active in the 2020s.

Under the modernization, the thermal imaging systems of Starstreaks, which have been in use since the 1980s, will be modernized. There will also be some changes in the missiles. Thus, the platform will be available for 24 hours and will gain IFF capability.

The Starstreak missile, which measures 127 mm in diameter and weighs about 17 kilograms, can reach 3,5 Mach. Equipped with 0.9 kilograms of high explosive warheads, the platform can be effective at a range of 7000 meters.