Brimstone missiles: Ukraine's powerful shield against tanks
One of the most effective anti-tank measures for Ukraine is the Brimstone missile family provided by the United Kingdom. They are launched from launchers mounted on ordinary lorries. Here we present the performance of this solution.
Brimstone missiles first appeared in Ukraine in May 2022 and are a means that can effortlessly destroy even the best Russian T-90M tanks.
The Ukrainians use specially modified lorries as Brimstone missile launchers, carrying three ready-to-use missiles simultaneously. This configuration is similar to the test launcher of the naval version of the Sea Spear system presented in one of the tests published by MBDA.
Brimstone 2 - Ukraine's best anti-tank weapon
Ukraine has received both the first-generation Brimstone missiles produced since 1996 and the second-generation variant produced since 2016. The first version was essentially an AGM-114 Hellfire missile adapted for launching from aircraft, allowing for combating tanks at a range of up to 19 kilometres with a warhead capable of penetrating the equivalent of 70 centimetres of armoured steel.
As for the Brimstone 2 missile, it not only doubled the range but also received a new tandem (dual) shaped charge warhead and an entirely new guidance system. The performance of the new warhead remains unknown, but reports suggest that the armour of the latest Russian T-90M tanks or T-80BWM tanks does not pose an issue for it.
The precise delivery of the warhead is ensured by a dual guidance system further supported by a tandem of GPS and INS navigation. Like its predecessor, Brimstone 2 features a laser reflection-guided warhead, which maintains control over the missile's flight until impact or combat with low-radar-signature targets.
Brimstone 2 - It will find and identify the target on its own
The innovation is the addition of a radar head in the missile, which, in combination with onboard electronics, can independently search for and identify targets. Thanks to this technology, Brimstone 2 functions as a "fire and forget" anti-tank missile, capable of distinguishing civilian vehicles from tanks or other armoured vehicles. The radar is particularly effective against fast-moving targets.
It is also possible to programme the flight so that the missile ignores targets over a certain segment of the flight, such as its own tanks, and searches for objects only beyond this area. This provides great flexibility and effectiveness even without complete data on the location of the opponent's armoured forces. It's worth noting that Poland will also use these missiles as part of the Ottokar Brzoza programme, as emphasised by Łukasz Michalik.
