Back بريمستون (صاروخ) Arabic Brimstone Czech Brimstone (Panzerabwehrlenkwaffe) German Brimstone Spanish Brimstone Finnish Brimstone (missile) French ברימסטון HE Brimstone (projektil) Croatian Brimstone (rakéta) Hungarian Brimstone (missile) Italian
| Brimstone | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=en&file=File:Missile_MBDA_Brimstone.jpg) A triplet of single-mode Brimstone missiles | |
| Type | Air-to-surface missile Surface-to-surface missile |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2005 |
| Used by | Royal Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force German Air Force Armed Forces of Ukraine |
| Wars | Operation Telic Operation Herrick Operation Ellamy Operation Shader Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | GEC-Marconi |
| Designed | 1996 |
| Manufacturer | MBDA UK, Henlow |
| Unit cost | (Dual mode variant) £105,000/unit[1][needs update] £175,000 inc. development[2][needs update] |
| Produced | 1999 |
| Variants |
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 50 kg (110 lb)[3][4] |
| Length | 1.8 m (71 in)[3][4] |
| Diameter | 180 mm (7.1 in)[3][4] |
| Warhead | 6.3 kg (14 lb) HEAT tandem shaped warhead[5] |
Detonation mechanism | Crush (impact) fuze Command fuze[5] |
| Engine | Solid-fuel rocket |
Operational range |
|
| Maximum speed | Supersonic, ~450 m/s (~ Mach 1.3) |
Guidance system | 94-GHz millimetric-wave active radar homing and INS autopilot; dual-mode, II, and III adds laser guidance[7] |
Steering system | Flight control surfaces |
| Accuracy | Sub-1 m CEP[7][N 1] |
Launch platform |
|
Brimstone is a ground or air-launched ground attack missile developed by MBDA UK for the UK's Royal Air Force.[9] It was originally intended for "fire-and-forget" use against mass formations of enemy armour, using a millimetre wave (mmW) active radar homing seeker to ensure accuracy even against moving targets. Experience in Afghanistan led to the addition of laser guidance in the dual-mode Brimstone missile, allowing a "spotter" to pick out specific and the highest priority targets, particularly useful to minimise collateral damage when friendly forces or civilians were in the area. The tandem shaped-charge warhead is much more effective against modern tanks than older similar weapons such as the AGM-65G Maverick missile. Three Brimstones are carried on a launcher that occupies a single weapon station, allowing a single aircraft to carry many missiles.
After a protracted development programme, single-mode or "millimetric" Brimstone entered service with RAF Tornado aircraft in 2005, and the dual-mode variant in 2008. The latter was used extensively in Afghanistan and Libya. An improved Brimstone 2 was expected to enter service in October 2012, but problems with the new warhead from TDW and the ROXEL rocket motor put back the planned date to November 2015.[citation needed] MBDA is studying the use of Brimstone on ships, attack helicopters, UAVs, and from surface launchers. However, it will not be integrated on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.[10][11] Germany, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have purchased the missile. The cost per missile has been quoted as £175,000 each in 2015,[12] or "over £100,000".[13][needs update]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Hardingwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Written Answers to Questions". House of Commons. 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b c "BRIMSTONE". MBDA. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27.
- ^ a b c "BRIMSTONE datasheet 2" (PDF). MBDA. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-08-13.
- ^ a b "Brimstone Missile". Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 30 July 2021.
- ^ "New British Brimstone 2 Missiles Are Bad News for Russian Tanks, Artillery, Air Defense and Command Posts". Forbes.
- ^ a b "Pictures: Brimstone 2 passes test against high-speed vehicle". 21 October 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
- ^ "Brimstone Reaper integration still in the pipeline". Flightglobal. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ "Brimstone Advanced Anti-Armour Missile". Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ Corfield, Gareth (27 January 2017). "National Audit Office: UK's military is buying more than it can afford". The Register.
- ^ Baldwin, Harriett (17 January 2017). "Military Aircraft:Written question". UK Parliament.
- ^ _benkatz, Benjamin D. Katz (3 December 2015). "Brimstone Missile Joins Syria War as U.K. Hits Islamic State". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
- ^ "Who, What, Why: What is the Brimstone missile?". BBC News Online Magazine. 4 December 2015.
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