Huge upgrade for Ukrainian army: UK bolster Ukraine with more Brimstone missiles
Great Britain has been at the forefront of providing advanced equipment to Ukraine, with the first Brimstone missiles noted in the country as early as May 2022.
3:33 PM EST, February 22, 2024
Regarded as one of the top anti-tank tools available in Ukraine, these missiles can neutralize tanks like the T-90M, which Russian President Vladimir Putin describes as "the best in the world". Despite lacking aircraft integration for Brimstone, the Ukrainians have innovatively engineered a ground launcher which is concealed within a truck.
Brimstone missile: A versatile tank destroyer
The Brimstone missile design originated from the 1990s and was based on its American counterpart, the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. It was modified to allow for deployment from fast-moving aircraft, resulting in a missile approximately 5.91 feet in length and weighing around 110.23 pounds. This missile could engage targets as far as 12.43 miles away and penetrate armor equivalent to over 27.56 inches of steel.
Over the years, the Brimstone design has seen numerous refinements. The missile's second iteration, produced from 2014 onwards, boasts a far greater range and substantially improved warhead. Representatives from missile manufacturer MBDA assert that this warhead can tackle any tank presently available on the market. In addition, the missile features a homing head, which utilizes a combination of satellite and inertial navigation for dual guidance methods.
The Brimstone missile can be guided toward a target using an unjammable laser beam, proving very effective even against targets with weak radar signatures. Another option entails leveraging a laser beam to assist the onboard radar, which is particularly useful in eliminating moving targets under strong electronic warfare conditions. This attribute furnishes the missile with exceptional accuracy, attaining up to 98.7% precision in combat scenarios, as claimed by the manufacturer.
The most innovative feature of the Brimstone missile is its third mode of operation, wherein the missile autonomously hunts for targets using their signatures, following the "fire and forget" principle. The onboard computer can differentiate between civilian vehicles and tanks using radar data. The missile can also be programmed to spare friendly tanks in a designated area post-launch, focusing solely on enemy vehicles positioned even miles away.
