It is manufactured by Thales Air Defence (formerly Shorts Missile Systems) in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Further development and a production contract materialized in November 1986, and the missile was officially accepted into service in September 1997.

[6] In July 2001, Thales received a contract for a successor identification friend or foe system for Starstreak.

Around half the weight of each dart – approximately 450 g (16 oz) – is its explosive charge, detonated by a delayed-action, impact-activated fuse.

Starstreak's system allows for the beam area to be much larger than the target while retaining pinpoint accuracy.

[6] Each sub-munition dart travelling at 4,500 kilometres per hour (2,800 mph) has comparable kinetic energy to a shell from a Bofors 40 mm gun,[citation needed] though it lacks the armour-penetration capabilities of a purpose-built anti-tank guided missile or a dual-purpose missile (such as the Air Defence Anti-Tank System).

Each regiment was equipped with 108 HVM self-propelled armoured launchers mounted on the Stormer tracked chassis capable of holding eight missiles ready to fire and a further eight reloads (the original capacity of twelve was reduced during a revision).

The launchers could originally run on batteries for extended periods to minimise their signature, but significant upgrades dramatically increased the system's power requirements.

The HVM SP and LML variants now carry a mix of both Starstreak A5 and Lightweight Multirole Missiles.

[21] The British Army deployed Starstreak missiles to assist with the security of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

[22] October 2024 Portuguese Army Ordered 3 Rapid ranger quad launcher mounted on Vamtac St5 vehicles and 1 3D radar unit and LML missiles.

Future Operators Portugal • Portuguese Armed Forces — Plans announced in November 2024 show an initial purchase of 3 Rapid Ranger quadruple launchers alongside HVM & LMM missiles as part of a wider air defense modernisation program, the potential for follow on orders of up to 9 additional systems is called for under the Portuguese requirement.

Undisclosed vehicle mounted and man portable systems are to be procured with initial deliveries from Thales to begin in 2025, existing partner Bharat Dynamics Limited will also provide domestic production for up to 60% of the missiles.