Article Posted on : - Jun 23, 2014

Typhoon aircraft. Photo: MBDA

PARIS (BNS): The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded BAE Systems an initial study contract valued at £5 million to evaluate the integration of the MBDA Brimstone 2 air-to-ground precision weapon with the Typhoon aircraft.

Work is currently underway at Warton, Lancashire to assess the aerodynamic properties of carrying the weapon through a series of wind tunnel tests, MBDA said in a statement.

Alongside delivering an effective route to Brimstone 2 integration for the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) by 2018, the study is also set to deliver wider benefits through the exploration of a common launcher approach which could also be used for other multiple weapons stores such as SPEAR 3.

The Brimstone 2 weapon will add to the swing-role capability of the Typhoon aircraft. Brimstone 2 is effective against the most challenging, high speed and manoeuvring targets over land and sea.

As a low collateral, close air support weapon it is already combat proven in Afghanistan and Libya by the RAF. The study contract will transition the Dual Mode Brimstone capability that is combat proven on Tornado GR4 to Typhoon utilising the Brimstone 2 missile.

Mark Bowman, Chief Test Pilot for BAE Systems said, "With a proven track record on RAF Tornados, the Brimstone 2 weapon offers uncompromising precision and a flexible capability that meets the emerging threats of modern warfare.

The Typhoon pilot will be able to confidently engage a wide range of target types including fast moving vehicles. When integrated Brimstone 2 will be another significant development step for Typhoon, enhancing the aircraft's credentials and relevancy going forward."