Ooo what with? Striker II?
So here I am, looking at a wikipedia page when I see.
Yes, that’s a rocket pod on a chinook in Australian service meaning it could enter the British tree.
EDIT: At least the footer being “Australian war memorial” makes me think it’s Australian service.
1 Like
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/85c1a23c-22de-457f-8b0a-1f9c0b4c7101
Unknown at the moment
It’s a bit different for AH-64E
photos
The old IHADSS on the Apache Mk.1 was a different helmet
photos
1 Like
The American’s aren’t in the habit of letting us integrate our own stuff at the moment (cough Meteor, Brimstone, Spear 3, Brimstone again on Apache), so I wouldn’t get your hopes up but Striker II would be a huge upgrade.
2 Likes
At least with the new AH-64E’s seems they let us integrate all our own DASS suite without any resistance.
I thought the “AH.Mk.2” was going to be the same standard as the American 64E, including LDIRCM, I also thought that the British would get the American tech as British bought stuff is always shit nowadays
Mostly because with the open architecture, modular bus design of the AH-64E’s electronics, it doesn’t actually “need” any work to be done on their part to mount the new systems.
The second it needs drop / release / jettison tests, or aerodynamic studies things change.
1 Like
America had no problem with us doing that (as evidenced by the videos of Apaches shooting Brimstone in trials), the MOD in their infinite wisdom just decided it would be cheaper to buy JAGM.
Well JAGM is just a Hellfire with a dual mode seeker
Recycling is great
America did have a problem with it, that’s why they made it so damn expensive. Integration cost was bigger than the entire budget allocated for AH-64E weapon procurement by the MoD.
The US wanted to discourage the MoD from pursuing it, and buy an American missile instead. Which we duly did
1 Like
And Brimstone DMS is a Hellfire with a Dual mode seeker. Granted after Brimstone 2, they diverged a little but I’d hazard a guess not in anyway that matters too much.
1 Like
Should’ve just modified up some Wildcats with Brimstones and a DASS update.
2 Likes
Brimstones only advantage would be range as you will still need to procure more Brimstones to replace the hellfire which would be more expensive then recycling
Only if it was Brimstone 2+, DMS and Brimstone 1 would be identical in kinematics.
2 Likes
Wasn’t the integration cost or Brimstone meant to be $75m? I’m pretty sure some people have done napkin maths showing that the lower unit cost of Brimstone compared to JAGM means that it would have been cheaper overall to pay the $75m upfront and then go with Brimstone. Seems like a typically short sighted MOD decision to me, save a bit of money up front and pay a whole lot more in the future (see also that recent report on short sighted MOD decisions relating to F-35 procurement).
3 Likes
That was the original statement, but its since evolved. I had this saved from 2023 in my X bookmarks (turns out you were right and checking them is useful).
https://x.com/TotherChris/status/1716760525038600673
TL:DR This foreign purchase is more expensive than using the domestic Brimstone 3 missile. Choosing Brimstone would have saved the taxpayer potentially up to £400 million. Brimstone is also considered superior technically and logistically. This large expenditure on a foreign system does not align with previous claims that JAGM would save money and is deemed a poor financial decision.
(Tweet summarised with AI but the maths is there).
I had read the same thing as @da12thmonkey in that they weren’t happy with the request and therefore gave a very high quote price to discourage us after initially denying the request due to timelines and availability.
Don’t even get me started so far the reports on just about every British defence project are damning.
4 Likes
AFAIK the cost of integration was the cost of JAGM+Hydra+APKWS (training, handling and support material, not actual munitions)+~£70m. A lot of the estimated cost of Brimstone assumed transfer of training and materials from RAF fast jet use, which may or may not have tallied with reality.
The desired AH version had always been something like Brimstone 3 (which leverages FAHW features), not using Brimstone 2. And because of delays and increasing development costs, Brimstone 3 was risking cancellation until Germany decided to buy them for Typhoon last year. Which ever way we cut it, we wouldn’t be starting integration of Brimstone 3 for AH-64E until either this year or next - it’s still only in the initial stages for Typhoon and Protector.
Isn’t it the CRV7 + ?Guided variant? (-PG kit?), or are British helicopters actually going to be swapping to the Hydra + APKWS II?
