UK to supply advanced Brimstone missiles to Ukraine as part of broader aid package

This latest supply of Brimstone missiles to Ukraine forms part of a broader arms package that the United Kingdom plans to offer in its effort to assist Ukraine in the immediate future. The aid package includes, among other things, 200 first-generation Brimstone missiles and a confidential quantity of second-generation missiles, which boast an extended range.

The incoming missiles may potentially equip the Wolfram tank destroyers. These destroyers, which came into existence during the war in Ukraine, are a low-cost anti-tank platform that uses a Supacat HMT 600 off-road vehicle. This basis vehicle carries an 8-chamber launcher of Brimstone missiles.

This setup bears similarities with the design concept of the Polish tank destroyer Ottokar - Brzoza. The highly mobile launcher doesn't require heavy armoring because, thanks to the missile's range, it can hit targets without visual sight, thereby avoiding exposure to direct enemy fire.

The Brimstone missile was crafted in the UK during the 1990s. It was integrated, among other things, into Tornado GR.4 and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. Additionally, these missiles can be launched from ground platforms, including makeshift ones such as temporarily modified Ukrainian pickup trucks.

One of the missile's standout features is its sophisticated radar head. This technology allows the missile to self-navigate after reaching a marked area, beginning to "scan" for a matching target based on a previously input pattern. This feature enables the firing of missiles without prequisite knowledge of the exact target location.

Operating in such a mode, Brimstone actively seeks out its own target. It can distinguish objects with sufficient accuracy to differentiate a civilian car from a building or a tank, or even an ordinary tank from a command vehicle.

The Brimstone missile measures approximately 71 inches in length, weighs 106 lbs, and has a range of 7 to 12 miles, depending on the version.