MBDA and Boeing have successfully completed a series of firing trials of the MBDA Brimstone ground attack missile on the Boeing AH-64E atta...
MBDA and Boeing have successfully completed a series of firing trials of the MBDA Brimstone ground attack missile on the Boeing AH-64E attack helicopter to confirm the feasibility of integrating the missile with the United Kingdom’s future Apache AH-64E fleet.
These trials validate a prior UK MOD study contract with MBDA and Boeing that confirmed integration was expected to be low risk.
Boeing performed the platform and cockpit software modifications and managed the trials programme at Mesa and Yuma, Arizona, using a leased United States Government AH-64E in just nine months.
These firings demonstrated the capability of the weapon to guide using Brimstone’s Semi-Active Laser (SAL), Dual Mode SAL/millimetric wave (mmW) and fully autonomous mmW guidance modes.
The weapon releases were from hovering, moving and manoeuvring/banking scenarios against Main Battle Tanks and Pickup Truck targets. All of the firings utilised fully telemetered missiles instead of those with a warhead to confirm performance.
The UK MOD’s trials objectives were met with missile telemetry being gathered, confirming that the weapons separated with active fin control off the rails, with no tip-off concerns. The data collected from these missile firings will be used to enable future optimisation of Brimstone for the AH-64E capability.
Dan Girardin, Boeing Flight Test Engineer, Mesa AZ: said “The mmW autonomous shot from a moving and banking platform against an off-axis target with the missile hitting the MBT turret ring was the most aggressive shot I have seen in my 30 years of the Apache programme”
The Brimstone will replace the Lockheed Martin Hellfire missile, as the primary armament for UK Army’s 50 new AH-64E Apache contracted for $2.3 billion.
The British made missile is currently being used in operations over Syria and Iraq by the RAF.
It is used for the engagement of fast moving and manoeuvring targets, as recently demonstrated from both Tornado GR4 and Reaper RPAS, achieving direct hits against targets operating at speeds up to 70 mph and proving ideal for operations in collaterally constrained environments. Brimstone is also being integrated onto Eurofighter Typhoon for the Royal Air Force.
These trials validate a prior UK MOD study contract with MBDA and Boeing that confirmed integration was expected to be low risk.
Boeing performed the platform and cockpit software modifications and managed the trials programme at Mesa and Yuma, Arizona, using a leased United States Government AH-64E in just nine months.
These firings demonstrated the capability of the weapon to guide using Brimstone’s Semi-Active Laser (SAL), Dual Mode SAL/millimetric wave (mmW) and fully autonomous mmW guidance modes.
The weapon releases were from hovering, moving and manoeuvring/banking scenarios against Main Battle Tanks and Pickup Truck targets. All of the firings utilised fully telemetered missiles instead of those with a warhead to confirm performance.
The UK MOD’s trials objectives were met with missile telemetry being gathered, confirming that the weapons separated with active fin control off the rails, with no tip-off concerns. The data collected from these missile firings will be used to enable future optimisation of Brimstone for the AH-64E capability.
Dan Girardin, Boeing Flight Test Engineer, Mesa AZ: said “The mmW autonomous shot from a moving and banking platform against an off-axis target with the missile hitting the MBT turret ring was the most aggressive shot I have seen in my 30 years of the Apache programme”
The Brimstone will replace the Lockheed Martin Hellfire missile, as the primary armament for UK Army’s 50 new AH-64E Apache contracted for $2.3 billion.
The British made missile is currently being used in operations over Syria and Iraq by the RAF.
It is used for the engagement of fast moving and manoeuvring targets, as recently demonstrated from both Tornado GR4 and Reaper RPAS, achieving direct hits against targets operating at speeds up to 70 mph and proving ideal for operations in collaterally constrained environments. Brimstone is also being integrated onto Eurofighter Typhoon for the Royal Air Force.
