3. The Brimstone advanced anti-armour missile,
developed by MBDA (formerly Alenia Marconi
Systems) with Boeing as the primary
subcontractor, entered a pre-production
development programme in 1996. It began
quantity production in late 2004.
4.
5. The Brimstone missile made its first firing
against a fast in-shore attack craft in June 2012.
MBDA then demonstrated its precision low
collateral capability from a MQ-9 Reaper
remotely-piloted aircraft in January 2014, while
the maritime capability was demonstrated
against a fast in-shore attack craft was in March
and April of the same year.
6.
7. For low collateral damage control, the missile can
be programmed not to initiate target search until it
has passed a given point.
This allows Brimstone to safely overfly friendly
forces.
Brimstone can also be programmed to cease target
search beyond a determined engagement area or to
accept a target only within a specified area.
The missile is fitted with a programmable self-
destruct mechanism.
8.
9. Brimstone is armed with a tandem high-
explosive anti-tank warhead capable of
penetrating explosive reactive armour.
The front charge initiates the explosion of the
armour and clears the path for the main
charge to penetrate it with the anti-tank jet
dart
10.
11. Brimstone 2, an improved version of the Brimstone missile,
features new airframe, millimetre-wave (mmW) radar with
semi-active laser dual mode seeker capability, and an
insensitive munition (IM) rocket motor and warhead.
It was fired at fast targets with a telemetry system in
October 2013 and fitted to a Typhoon aircraft for the first
time in December 2014.
Production of Brimstone 2 began in July 2014 and the missile
is expected to enter service with the UK RAF in 2018.
