The air-to-ground missile Brimstone developed by MBDA has successfully performed complex operational assessment tests by the Royal Air Force (RAF) which would confirm the performance of all technical missile improvements.
The results were reached in February 2016 at China Lake in the United States at the peak of a missile operational development program.
Brimstone has to its credit some 500 launches with a very high success rate since its entry into service.
The assessments were made on 11 missile launches that affected the maximum performance of the weapon system and were conducted in different operational scenarios with centers on very small targets, fast moving vehicles and complex static targets.
I Brimstone they have been tested in single and multiple launches with laser guidance, millimeter or dual radar mode and laser designation of acquirers on the ground.
The tests would have shown a significant increase in engagement capacity with an increase in 100% of the stand-off range (based on the MBDA tables of in-service missiles), and a significant increase in the ability to engage targets at high angles of attack and out of trajectory . This feature improves the ability to shoot from a platform in close air support (CAS) without the need to align to the target.
RAF Eurofighter Typhoons will benefit from upgrades with an integration program planned for 2018. Separate activities are conducted on the potential use of the missile with the UK's Future Attack Helicopter and on the remotely piloted air system Protector.
