The Times January 04, 2006

20 years later, the RAF can fire with Brimstone
By Michael Evans, Defence Editor



AN RAF tank-busting missile that has taken more than 20 years to come into service is to be fitted to all frontline Tornado GR4 bombers this year.

The Brimstone anti-armour missile, developed at a cost of about £850 million, is one of the longest-running weapon programmes in recent times. It was devised in the early 1980s to destroy the most advanced Russian tanks.

When the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet empire imploded, military planners at the Ministry of Defence reviewed all the main equipment projects designed for the Cold War, and Brimstone was thrown on the scrapheap.

In 1993, however, two years after Army Challenger 1 tanks had faced – at some risk – but beaten Soviet-made tanks in the Gulf War after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, the MoD decided to revive the Brimstone project.

The missile development suffered technical problems. In its last report on the MoD’s top 20 weapons projects, the National Audit Office said that the Brimstone programme had suffered three years of delays.

Once it becomes fully operational this year, it will be able to destroy all known armoured threats on the battlefield, from tanks and artillery to personnel carriers, according to experts who have been testing it during the past ten months.

The new weapon is intended to give the RAF the most potent tank-busting capability in the world. The missile’s computerised radar seeker can recognise an armoured vehicle on the battlefield and then fires a tandem-charge warhead that can penetrate the thickest armour.

An internal MoD journal said that pilots could launch Brimstone “when targets are not visible from the attacking aircraft into a designated hostile area to search for targets”.

The Army now has Challenger 2 tanks, which have a more powerful anti-armour shell, but Brimstone will significantly increase the firepower available to commanders in time of war.The arrival of Brimstone as an anti-tank weapon coincides with the MoD’s implementation of a policy to reduce the number of Challenger 2 squadrons and AS90 artillery batteries. This policy, announced in July 2004, reflected a shift in emphasis from heavy warfighting systems to light and medium-weight forces.

DEFENCE BILLS

Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol and attack aircraft £3.8 billion

Typhoon/Eurofighter combat aircraft £20 billion

Astute class nuclear- powered submarines £3.5 billion

Bowman communications system £1.9 billion

Astor airborne stand-off ground-surveillance radar £800 million

Type 45 destroyer £561 million each

Two large aircraft carriers — estimated £3 billion

Joint Strike Fighter for the carriers — estimated £10 billion

thetimesonline.co.uk

   

The Royal Air Force has concluded a series of highly successful firing trials of MBDA's Brimstone air-launched anti-armour weapon at the China Lake test firing range in California. Between 12th and 28th October 2005, nine separate firing trials were carried out during which a total of 31 Brimstone missiles were fired. These firings, which included Service Evaluation Trials, allowed the RAF to develop operational tactics and explore the extremes of the engagement envelope of this unique weapon system. During the trials, Brimstone had its first test against a moving target, registering a direct hit. In fact the overall success rate of the test firings was an unprecedented 96%, with 30 out 31 missiles successfully impacting on a variety of military vehicles. Following the trials, Wing Commander Angela Hawley, Team Leader of the Brimstone Integrated Project Team said: "The firing trial was a great achievement; the release conditions and the target array were chosen to test the Brimstone weapon in operational scenarios. Brimstone showed consistent performance in a variety of different attack profiles, with some spectacular results, and is a major addition to the RAF's capability". Carried out from RAF Tornado GR4s, the firing trials were managed by the Air Warfare Centre and performed by the RAF's Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit (FJWOEU). Brimstone entered service in March 2005 with the RAF's No. 31 Squadron (the weapon's lead squadron), members of which also participated in the trials. To fully test the capability of the weapon system, a wide range of different target types was used including: T72 and M60 Main Battle Tanks, Self-Propelled Guns and Armoured Personnel Carriers. A feature of the weapon system is its excellent operational flexibility so the trials also tested Brimstone's different firing modes: single missile, single weapon (i.e. three missiles) and two-weapon (i.e. six missiles) salvos. In testing the system's operational envelope, the trials covered firings at both long and minimum engagement ranges and from high altitude in the dive as well as from a very low level approach. To further ensure that the trials were totally comprehensive, target designation with both HUD (Head Up Display) and TIALD (Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser Designator) was employed. Guy Griffiths, MBDA' s Chief Operating Officer, said: "I am delighted by these results which once again prove MBDA's total commitment to delivering to our customers highly effective missile systems that provide precise effects and a distinct operational edge. The customer's demanding requirements presented many challenges. These challenges have, however, resulted in a weapon system featuring a range of capabilities unmatched anywhere in the world today. To achieve these results, our engineers had to develop and advance certain complex technologies, particularly in the missile's radar seeker. The technology necessary to provide the all-weather, autonomous precision capability in a commercially viable solution had up to now proven to be beyond the scope of industry. My congratulations go to all those involved in this highly successful project". "The Air Warfare Centre's mission is to contribute to the military capability of (RAF) Strike Command by developing and implementino operational and tactical doctrine and providing essential and timely integrated mission support to Royal Air Force operational units in peace and in war " (extract from the Air Warfare Centre's mission statement). The Development Division within the Air Warfare Centre is responsible for the operational evaluation of all UK MoD aircraft types, associated equipment and weapons through the Operational Evaluation Units (OEUs) at various locations around the UK. The RAF's Fast Jet and Weapons Operations and Evaluation Unit is based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. In November 1996, the UK MoD awarded MBDA the development and production contract for Brimstone to be integrated onto the RAF's fleet of Harrier GR9, Tornado GR4/4A and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. Brimstone has been selected as the RAF's principal anti-armour weapon. The Brimstone weapon system comprises a smart, re-usable launcher capable of carrying three missiles. It is a highly effective, all-weather, autonomous, fire-and-forget missile system that uniquely offers the capability to kill enemy armour in the deepest parts of the battlefield beyond the range of other systems. Combat aircraft armed with Brimstone offer reach, speed, flexibility and rapid deployment. As the weapon is small and lightweight it is also compatible with a wide variety of modern combat aircraft. It is also a threshold weapon for the F-35, Joint Strike Fighter. The first batch of operational missiles was delivered in November 2004. Brimstone entered service with the RAF on 31st March 2005. MBDA's production of Brimstone missiles for delivery to the RAF is running at 95 per month with all launchers having already been delivered.

http://cca.analisidifesa.it/en/magazine ... 2365_0.jsp

   

Thanks for the heads up GreatBriton, I'll be sure to buy a couple of those shiny missiles to accent my F-16 I have in the basement.

   

Too bad the Russians are already 2 generations into their AFV's active protection systems. It may not stop this, or a hellfire but then, they all look good on paper.

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