UK faces Brimstone 2 capability gap, NAO warns

[Manticore]

UK faces Brimstone 2 capability gap, NAO warns - 2/19/2014 - Flight Global

UK faces Brimstone 2 capability gap, NAO warns

By: CRAIG HOYLE
LONDON
Source: ​

13:34 19 Feb 2014​

Development of a potentially key ground-attack weapon for the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoons is nearing completion, but the type may not be fielded with MBDA’s Brimstone 2 missile for another seven years, according to a report by the UK National Audit Office.​

“The department is now planning that Brimstone 2 will be fitted to Typhoon but not until 2021, resulting in a two-year capability gap after retiring [the Panavia] Tornado in 2019,” the NAO says in its recently-published Major Projects Report 2013.
Originally due to have entered service in October 2012 with the RAF’s Tornado GR4s, the Brimstone 2 is now expected to reach this milestone in November 2015.
Delays to the introduction of the Brimstone 2 stem from a reliability problem with its Roxel-developed rocket motor, which emerged during testing in January 2012. Citing “significant technical issues on the Vulcan rocket motor”, the NAO refers to “propellant cracking and liner de-bonding”. This occurred during the latter stages of an environmental stress testing campaign designed to replicate conditions to be encountered by the design through a lifetime of use. Issues with the design’s new warhead also contributed to the slip.
Responding to the report, MBDA says programme development activities have remained on track since May 2012, with a series of five firings performed in the USA last October and a launch made with a new rocket motor the following month. Formal qualification work is now nearing completion and will be followed by certification activities and user trials.

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MBDA​

An evolution of the dual-mode seeker-equipped Brimstone used by Tornado pilots in Afghanistan and Libya, the enhanced weapon has an increased range and better capability while engaging moving ground vehicles.​

In its report, the NAO says the Ministry of Defence “is currently working to determine how best to mitigate this capability gap” following the GR4’s retirement.
One potential means of filling an operational gap would be to advance the full integration of Brimstone with the RAF’s General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Reapers. Successful firing trials involving the combination concluded early this year. The MoD said then that it had yet to decide on whether to field the missile with its remotely piloted air system.
In the shorter term, an additional batch of dual-mode weapons will be delivered from later this year to support UK operations in Afghanistan. These are being “jointly funded by MoD and MBDA”, the NAO says.

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[Indus Falcon]

Dual-Mode Brimstone Proves Maritime Capabilities in Trials
Jul. 16, 2014 -By ANDREW CHUTER

In recent successful trials, the dual-mode Brimstone missile was fired at moving 40-foot fast attack craft from a British Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 strike aircraft. (MBDA)

FARNBOROUGH, ENGLAND— MBDA has conducted firing trials of its dual-mode Brimstone missile against fast attack craft as part of a trial for the British Ministry of Defence, company officials said Wednesday.

The trials included two firings against fast moving 40-foot craft from a British Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, the officials said during a briefing for reporters at the Farnborough International Air Show. One firing involved a fast attack craft placed in the vicinity of three neutral craft.

Adrian Monks, MBDA’s head of short-range surface attack weapons, said the target was hit without any damage to the other boats. The executive said the maritime strike study contract with the MoD was ongoing but declined to comment further.

A Tornado was previously used by MBDA at the start of the program to prove Brimstone’s maritime capabilities.

Sea- and land-launched options of the weapon are also being worked on.

The missile is currently deployed on the Tornado but Britain has started early integration work to install the new Brimstone 2 version on the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.

The first production standard of the heavily improved Brimstone 2 is due off the manufacturing line in the next couple of days. The weapon is due to enter service on the Tornado next year.

Brimstone was originally developed as an anti-armor weapon, but with the inclusion of a dual-mode seeker it has evolved into a missile capable of defeating a wide range of targets, including fast moving vehicles.

The British MoD recently funded trials in the US to prove the integration and operation of the weapon on the MQ-9 Reaper.

The Royal Air Force currently operates its Reaper fleet armed with Hellfire missiles and precision guided bombs.

The briefing on Brimstone capabilities also revealed that the US Navy is showing interest in the British-developed weapon and is spending $4 million investigating integration of the missile on the F/A-18 Super Hornet. The US House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee has requested additional funding in its budget markup for 2015. That funding has yet to be approved.

Dual-Mode Brimstone Proves Maritime Capabilities in Trials | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[Indus Falcon]

MBDA Demonstrates Dual Mode BRIMSTONE Missile
Posted on Jul 17th, 2014

MBDA has successfully demonstrated its Dual Mode BRIMSTONE missile against fast moving and maneuvering Fast Inshore Attack Craft even in a cluttered environment with multiple neutral vessels in very close proximity

Conducted in March and April 2014 at the QinetiQ managed Aberporth range in west Wales, UK, an RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft fired two Dual Mode BRIMSTONE missiles (one telemetry and one operational), each fitted with MBDA’s latest Anti-FIAC software upgrades, at remotely controlled, 40ft ASV C13 Fast Inshore Attack Craft targets powered by twin 350hp engines.

The telemetry missile achieved a direct hit on the FIAC’s engines with the target operating at its maximum achievable speed in ‘low sea state 4’ conditions. The operational missile achieved a direct hit at the rear of the second FIAC’s cabin, destroying and sinking the target which was operating at maximum achievable speeds in ‘sea state 3’ conditions. Missile impact occurred whilst the target was within very close proximity to three neutral vessels. The target was destroyed and sunk with the single shot and with no collateral damage to the neutral vessels.

These tests confirmed Dual Mode BRIMSTONE’s first pass precision and lethality against challenging targets in stressing environments. The dual mode Semi-Active Laser and active MMW (millimetric wave) radar seeker works in tandem to provide a unique ability to selectively engage a specific target irrespective of target speed or manoeuvr even when in cluttered, congested and high collateral risk environments.

BRIMSTONE is an extremely capable weapon for the engagement of moving and maneuvering targets, and targets in high collateral risk environments as recently demonstrated from Tornado GR4 and RPAS, both achieving direct hits against high speed and maneuvering targets.

These new trials confirm the versatility of a single missile to be able to engage a diverse range of land and maritime targets in the most challenging of environments. Already demonstrated from land, two fast jet types and remotely piloted aircraft, BRIMSTONE provides a true multi-role / multi-platform approach and first pass lethality to reduce whole life cost ownership of complex weapons.

MBDA Demonstrates Dual Mode BRIMSTONE Missile >> Naval Today

 

[C130]

U.S should sign up as a partner for Brimstone 2
think our program is JAGM by Lockheed could merge the two programs.
Brimstone has shown it's a very capable AGM missile

 

[Nike]

I think it is Japan who step up as UK partner for further development of Brimstone missile