The UK recently delivered Brimstone-2 missiles to Ukraine, The Telegraph reported, citing Royal Air Force delivery footage.
The missile is an upgrade on the Brimstone-1 — supplied to the country between April and May — with more than twice the range.
The laser-guided missile can be fired from land vehicles, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The MBDA missile’s marine version is also available, which has been developed primarily to target fast attack crafts such as speed boats.
Modified Truck Missile Launchers
The Royal Air Force inducted the missile in 2005 and its laser-guided version three years later. The Brimstone-2 entered service in 2016.
The UK is likely to have provided Ukraine with modified military trucks for the missile to act as missile launchers, according to The War Zone.
The 175,000-pound ($207,885) missile has a 6.3 kilogram (14 pounds) warhead with a maximum range of 37 miles (59.5 kilometers) when fired from an airborne platform.
Tried and Tested Precision Weapon
The Royal Air Force employed the missile extensively in Afghanistan and Libya, firing “hundreds” of rounds with a success rate of 95 percent, MBDA claims, adding that the Brimstone 2’s “precision and controlled blast” makes it an ideal “close air support weapon.”
The missile’s dual sensor seeker technology integrates semi-active laser and millimeter wave radar sensors, enabling it to hit moving or stationary targets precisely with minimum collateral damage.
The weapon can scan the battlefield and select its target from a pre-programmed list, excluding less important and civilian vehicles and equipment, the outlet said.