THE BRIMSTONE MISSILE: BRITAIN'S DEADLY WEAPON IS AIMED AT ISIS
The £100,000 missile, which was developed in Britain, first came into service in 2005 and is used by the RAF.
The
laser-guided Brimstone missile, which can hit a small, fast-moving
target, could be used by RAF pilots to assassinate IS leaders one by
one.
Britain and Saudi Arabia are currently the only two countries in the world to have invested in Brimstones.
The British-designed missile destroys its target with a contained explosion that generates relatively little debris.
It
is far more sophisticated than the Americans' Hellfire weapons, which
generate a large and deadly field of shrapnel when they explode.
The
£100,000 Brimstone – which was used against Colonel Gaddafi's regime in
Libya in 2011 – can be fired from a Tornado GR4 at 20,000ft and is
capable of hitting vehicles travelling at up to 70mph.
It can be launched from a plane which is flying up to seven miles away from its target.
Each
missile has a small but highly focused explosive warhead – which
reduces the chance of shrapnel hitting civilians – as well as an
adjustable fuse which allows the pilot to decide exactly when it will
explode.
The
RAF would use the state-of-the-art weaponry to take out particular
targets on a British 'kill list' in Syria should MPs vote in favour of
extending the mission this week.
It
is understood that Tornado planes would concentrate on hitting the
'upper tier' of IS leadership structure in their stronghold.
IS
command posts and training camps will also be identified as key targets
for any British aircraft operating over Syria, according to Defence
Secretary Michael Fallon.
The
missile's dual-mode guidance system – with a laser designator and a
sophisticated radar – makes it the ideal weapon for destroying IS
fanatics driving on motorbikes or on gun trucks.
It
also makes the RAF a formidable force in the IS stronghold of Raqqa,
where other coalition nations have struggled to take out targets for
fear of civilian
It
is said to be especially good at targeting tanks and other heavy
weaponry and uses a 'highly focused' explosive warhead to reduce
shrapnel. This in turn can reduce the number of casualties.
This is the moment the Brimstone is about to hit a car moving through the desert at more than 70mph
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