- Yes
- No
“Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup” - Psalms 11:6
Introduction: The Brimstone missile family is one of the most formidable AGM systems in the world, and represents a technological approach to tackling armoured warfare. Although intended for the Cold War battlefield, it has been used in a number of conflicts against targets it was never intended to destroy, yet despatched them with great accuracy.
Legacy Brimstone:
Background: The Brimstone story starts in 1987, when Marconi Defence systems proposed a variant of the Hellfire missile with their Marconi Millimetre Wave (MMW) radar head, that was being captive-tested on a helicopter. The MMW had a narrow beam, giving it incredible resistance to ECM systems, as well as the ability to distinguish between targets, and lock on after launch. However, it soon became apparent that the Hellfire was unsuitable for jet operations, so the design team went back to the drawing board and redesigned the entire airframe. This became Brimstone, and apart from a superficial resemblance to the Hellfire, is completely unrelated to it.
Dual-Mode Brimstone:
Development: SR(A) 1238 was drawn up to provide the RAF with an anti-tank weapon capable of defeating the large volumes of Soviet armour that was expected to be fielded in any conflict. The weapon was also to be futureproofed. There were numerous proposals, including off-the-shelf weapons (or variants of them), dispenser systems, smart munitions, missiles and even a further enhanced BL.755. Brimstone and a dispenser system called SWAARM were chosen for further development in 1988. Despite both weapons offering great promise, SR(A) 1238 was put on the back burner due to the end of the Cold War, two years later. However, experience from Operation Granby brought the need for a new generation anto-weapon back into the spotlight. The requirement was resurrected, notably without the inclusion of dispenser systems, as these had fallen out of favour due to concerns over collateral damage. New missiles were put forward, including a variant of the ASRAAM called Typhoon, and variants of the Maverick. The requirement remained tough, with the need for an all-weather system with night attack capability, that could defeat all known armour systems, as well being adaptable for the destruction of any future threat. This was done in conjunction with a launch from medium or low altitudes at supersonic speeds. The program duration got to the point where the RAF ordered the AGM-65G IIR Maverick as a stop-gap. Of all the systems put forward, Brimstone was deemed the most capable, and selected it for use in 1996 on the Harrier and Tornado. After a ludicrous number of mergers, the project came under the jurisdiction of MBDA, with firing trials commencing in 2000. Although the weapon was put on the back-burner in favour of Storm Shadow in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, development continued steadily, and the missile entered service in 2005.
Combat Use: Brimstone first saw combat operations during Operation Herrick in 2009, in Afghanistan. Two years later, it was used against a wide variety of vehicles during Operation Ellamy in Libya. The system was also used in Operation Shader against ISIS. Though designed for use against mass tank attacks, the missile proved adept to destroying the technicals of very organisations. The type has also been adapted for ground use for service in Ukraine, with the British having long researched its use as a long-range ATGM.
Variants:
Legacy Brimstone:
The Legacy Brimstone is guided by an MMW seeker that operates at 94GHz, as an active emitter, though GEC-Marconi stated that its low output meant that detection by the target was unlikely. The seeker allowed for the discrimination of targets, allowing the missile to tell the difference between vehicles and structures, as well as specific types of vehicles. As the missile got modernised, it was even able to tell which part of the vehicle would be the best place to be targeted by its tandem-charge warhead. The MMW seeker allows for lock-on-after-launch capability, thus allowing for a salvo firing capability, with target designation done while in flight. In addition to this, the aircraft weapon system allows the missile to be programmed with a signature that can be searched for by the missile, thus improving accuracy further. It has been estimated that the Brimstone is three times more accurate than the Maverick, and a whopping seven times as effective than BL.755. The ability to carry three missiles per pylon allows for a greater number of kills.
Dual-Mode Brimstone:
The Dual-Mode Brimstone emerged from an Urgent Operational Requirement for a Brimstone variant with a “man in the loop” system with an abort capability. Though the MMW seeker was smart, it worked best with moving targets, but it was worried that it would get confused by the large number of returns in a built-up environment.
This was solved with Dual-Mode Brimstone, which kept the MMW radar, but added a semi-active laser seeker head, as well as software updates that allowed for capabilities previously not seen on the Brimstone. These missiles are identifiable by their transparent nosecones.
Brimstone 2:
An update to the Brimstone system, with a new rocket motor capable of longer ranges.
Sea Spear:
Anti-ship variant of Brimstone 2. The missile is designed for both surface and air launch, with the latter being proven when an RAF Tornado GR.4 successfully destroyed a 6m (20ft) rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB).
Brimstone 3:
An improvement upon the previous variants, adding improved guidance and propulsion systems.
Carried on:
• Panavia Tornado GR.4
• Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4
• BAE Harrier GR.7 ZD318
• BAE Harrier GR.9
• BAE Hawk 100
• General Atomics Reaper/Protector
• Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian
Specifications:
Spoiler
| Variant | Brimstone | Dual Mode Brimstone | Brimstone 2 | Sea Spear | Future Attack Helicopter Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | ALCM | ALCM | ALCM | ASCM | ALCM |
| Basing | Tornado GR.4, Typhoon FGR.4, Harrier GR.9 | Tornado GR4, Typhoon FGR.4 | Tornado GR4, Typhoon FGR.4, Predator B | Fixed-wing and Naval vessels | AH-64E Apache Helicopter |
| Range | 8-20 km | 8-20 km | 40-60 km | 8-20 km | 20 km |
| Length | 1.8 m | 1.8 m | 1.8 m | 1.8 m | 1.8 m |
| Diameter | 0.180 m | 0.180 m | 0.180 m | 0.188 m | 0.180 m |
| Guidance | millimeter Wave (mmW) radar | mmW, Semi-Active Laser (SAL) | mmW, SAL | Inertial Navigation, mmW, SAL | mmW, SAL |
| Payload | 6.3 kg | 6.3 kg | 6.3 kg | 16 kg | N/A |
| Warhead | Tandem Shaped Charge, Command Fuze and Impact | Tandem Shaped Charge, Command Fuze and Impact | Tandem Shaped Charge, Command Fuze and Impact | Tandem Shaped Charge | Multi-Effect Charge, Adaptive Fuzing |
| Status | Operational | Operational | Operational | In Development | In Development |
| In service | March 31, 2005 | December 18, 2008 | July 13, 2016 | N/A | N/A |
Conclusion: As War Thunder becomes more modern, it is only inevitable that such advanced weapons will be added to the game. The Brimstone family will help gain an advantage for the UK air tree, giving a slight edge over other nations, as well as making British aircraft more effective.
Sources:
Spoiler
“British Secret Projects: Hypersonics, Ramjets and Missiles” by Chris Gibson
“Typhoon to Typhoon: RAF Air Support Projects and Weapons Since 1945” by Chris Gibson
Brimstone Guided Missile - Think Defence
https://mbdainc.com/products/brimstone/
https://www.army-technology.com/projects/brimstone/
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ukraine-shows-devastating-british-made-26968661
File:The Brimstone Missile fitted to a Tornado GR4. MOD 45159236.jpg - Wikipedia
