The Brimstone missile, the brainchild of MBDA, a European weapons manufacturer, is derived from the American-manufactured Hellfire anti-tank rocket. It was first used by the Royal Air Force in 2005 and saw action in the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya conflicts.

The 6-foot-long Brimstone 1 rocket was created to be a fire-and-forget projectile with a reach of around 12 miles. This missile was outfitted with a millimeter-wave radar capable of finding and automatically targeting a tank without needing to be directed by the airplane or helicopter that launched it.

However, after some time in combat, an issue became apparent. In Afghanistan, the regulations for engagement stated that missiles must be directed by a person to prevent the missile from hitting unintended civilian objectives. This negated the possibility of using fire-and-forget technology.

So with this, the Royal Air Force requested a double-guidance framework in 2007. The Brimstone 2 still holds up its fire-and-neglect radar. However, it is additionally furnished with a semi-active laser hunter, which permits the rocket to point towards a target that a person has enlightened with a laser marker. It additionally has a more noteworthy range, allegedly 25 to 37 miles.

It is reported by Forces.net, a British defense site, that the guidance system of the recent version of Brimstone 1 has experienced significant enhancements that allow for the detection of difficult targets, such as objects concealed at right angles or that are only visible from unusual angles.

Right after the Russian attack on Feb. 24, the United Kingdom gave Ukraine the Brimstone 1, one of the first weapons they contributed. Nevertheless, the way the creators meant it to be used was not how it was seen in a video that was posted on social media in May of 2022. It was launched from a truck instead of a chopper or other plane.

As Ukraine was desperate to stop Russia’s attack, it was sensible to use self-guided anti-tank missiles. Nevertheless, the Russian advance was stopped, and Ukraine launched successful counteroffensives, which allowed them to recover much of the land taken by Russia. This brings up another issue: how to free Ukraine without damaging it.

A lot of combat has occurred in cities, towns, and other places where civilians may own houses and automobiles. Therefore, Ukrainian forces can point the missile at the appropriate goal by having a person involved in the process.

Brimstone 2’s built-in database can also correlate radar readings with a previously approved list of targets, but a laser designator affords users greater leeway in selecting a target.

🎬 As part of its aid package, the UK has provided Brimstone 2 missiles, a precision-guided missile, to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

This aid has played a crucial role in stalling Russian advancements.

🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/SpVnWqeiVm

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) November 27, 2022

The Brimstone 2 missile provides an additional benefit for Ukraine’s coastal protection. The projectile was developed to impact vessels, and it has been tested against flocks of quick inshore attack boats or FIAC.

In May 2013, an experiment was conducted using Brimstone missiles with their automated millimetric wave capability. This test was acclaimed as the first-ever single-button, simultaneous attack against multiple Fast Inshore Attack Crafts (FIACs) and successfully destroyed three of the vessels, one in motion, without harming the nearby neutral ships, according to a publication from MBDA.

The brochure explains that in 2014, during trials by the Royal Air Force, the Brimstone missiles that had the dual-mode anti-FIAC software managed to eliminate two speedboats without causing any harm to the other boats in the vicinity.

The exact number of Brimstone 2s that have been supplied to Ukraine is still being determined. However, it is likely not a large number, as the NATO forces possess a limited variety of precision-guided weapons. 

Nevertheless, this versatile weapon that can target both tanks and ships, with a switch between automated and manual control, will be greatly appreciated.