As reported by Reuters in their coverage of the 2015 International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:
“A deal worth 200 million euros ($228 million) has been signed to equip Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets with the latest Brimstone 2 surface attack missiles. The integration is expected to be delivered into service by Britain’s Royal Air Force in late 2018, the MoD said, with each Typhoon able to carry six of the Brimstone missiles, which are designed to hit fast-moving targets and have already been used by Britain’s Tornado jets in Afghanistan, Libya, and Iraq.”
Noting the unique ability of the Brimstone platform to precisely strike moving targets greatly reduced risk of collateral damage, Reuters quoted the UK Ministry of Defense’s Chief of Defense Materiel Bernard Gray as stating:
“The integration of Brimstone 2 represents a step change in Typhoon air-to-surface capability; providing for the first time both a low collateral moving target capability and multi-weapon launchers”
Additional coverage by Defense News noted Brimstone’s combat prowess in Afghanistan, Libya and against ISIS in Iraq:
“The high-precision missile won plaudits during operations in Afghanistan, Libya and most recently has been launched by Royal Air Force Tornado jets striking Islamic State terrorist targets in Iraq.
Fitting the new Brimstone 2 version of the missile now in series production at MBDA’s UK facilities will give the Typhoon a significant capability to defeat small high speed and maneuvering targets on land or at sea.”
In the Wall Street Journal’s “Mideast Unrest Highlights Need for Advanced Air-to-Ground Capabilities,” U.K. Air Vice-Marshal Graham Farnell said it was “highly reassuring” that a Brimstone-equipped Typhoon would be taking over for the Tornado.
For more information, visit MBDA Missile Systems at booth B-036 at #IDEX2015