SHAH ALAM: Brimstone. As you are aware the Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the candidates for the MRCA programme which has yet to receive its funding. As the Defence Ministry has indicated that funding will only made available after 2020, we can continue to see the developments of the Typhoon especially in the Royal Air Force service.
From BAE Systems
Brimstone missile trials completed successfully as part of Eurofighter Typhoon enhancement programme
A series of live firings of the MBDA Brimstone precision strike missile from a Eurofighter Typhoon have been completed successfully, adding enhanced capability to the aircraft.
The trials, conducted from BAE Systems’ Military Air & Information at Warton, Lancashire, UK, form part of a programme of new enhancements which will be rolled out across the Royal Air Force (RAF), ensuring Typhoon remains at the cutting edge of combat capability.
Brimstone will provide Typhoon with a low collateral, pin-point accurate air-to-surface weapon, further enhancing the aircraft’s already combat-proven swing-role performance. Planning for the next stages of work on Brimstone – including evaluation by the RAF in mid-2018 – is now underway ahead of its entry into service.
Andy Flynn, Eurofighter Capability Delivery Director, BAE Systems, said: “To complete this milestone is testament to the expertise and dedication of our people and the value of working closely with our partners. Brimstone will add a low-collateral, high precision strike capability and ensure Typhoon remains fit to meet the threats of the future for decades to come.”
Brimstone is part of the Phase 3 Enhancement (P3E) package which also includes mission system and sensor upgrades. P3E is the final part of Project Centurion – the programme to ensure a smooth transition of Tornado GR4 capabilities on to Typhoon for the RAF.
In total nine firings and nine jettison trials, which began in July, have been completed, with support from the UK Ministry of Defence, MBDA, QinetiQ, Eurofighter GmbH and the Eurofighter Partner Companies – Airbus and Leonardo.
The aim of the trials was to provide weapons integration clearance for operational use. They covered a range of specific release scenarios, testing at various heights, speeds, levels of G-force and in different positions on the aircraft wing and in the launcher. The nine firings have also been used to perform data analysis and models of the weapon’s performance. Further flight trials will take place in early 2018, followed by operational evaluation by the RAF.
Operational evaluation of the Phase 2 Enhancement (P2E) package with the with RAF’s 41(R) Squadron – the Test and Evaluation Squadron – at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK, is continuing and will include live firings ahead of roll out to the UK fleet. The P2E package includes MBDA’s Meteor Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile and the Storm Shadow deep strike stand-off air-to-surface missile.
Anyhow, if you have no interest in the sponsored write-up, watch the video below from the Defence Ministry on the recent budget allocation.
The graphics used seemed to indicate the procurement of the M109SPH and also the ATRMP as the MPA.
However, the use of the USN LCS, Singapore LMS and the BAE Systems M119 105mm light howitzer in the video also indicated that we must use it as a reference point only.
I know some people might say I am nit-picking (and as if I have not a fair share of mistakes) but it must be pointed out that video was produced by the Defence Ministry and it is its official stand. The mistakes maybe small but inexcusable.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (50)
Everyone makes these mistakes. Examples from the past few years include Russian ships shown at a Democratic party event, Russian patriotic billboards with a Tiger tank and German troops, and an SAF Christmas card with a Su-30MKM.
Even if they outsource the graphics design, Mindef has a duty to check these things before release.
This year a restaurant in Singapore advertised their SAF Day promotion with a Kamov helicopter and a T-55 series tank. Those are probably the results when the graphics designer uses Simplified Chinese search terms because he is from China.
Typhoon Seriously ?, I Think Goverment Should Look At the Super Hornet As We Always Use Our F/A-18D Legecy Hornets Either. By the way Marhalim, Is there Any News about The Kuwait Hornets ?.
Typhoons are too expensive for Malaysia. I agree with buying Super Hornets. In fact, who are we trying to kid? We're not going to use our fighters in any role other than strategic defensive ones. IMHO we need quantity over quality (within reason *cough*Fulcrums*cough). Maybe we should spam 50 BAE Hawks instead?
I still have an old brimstone brochure that clearly declares it as a MMW Hellfire.
Btw if budget only available post 2020...
Open tender 2021
Pick a winner 2023
Contract signing 2024 (usd 4 billion for 16 typhoon or rafale??)
1st plane delivered 2026
Initial operational capability 2028
Full operational capability 2030. By this time fighters available are 12 hawks 208, 5 hawk 108, 7 mb339, 18 MKM, 8 hornets and 16 typhoon/rafale. In 2030 there would be more than a few countries around flying stealthy 5th gen fighters.
If up to all of you, would you still go for typhoon or rafale?
Imo better go for:
2019 - kuwaiti hornets for mig 17skn and top up 18skn. usd 300 million for 28 C model and 8 D model + upgrades. Operational 16 C and 8+8 D model with rest stored for rotation/spares.
2020 - order FA-50/TA-50 to replace hawk/mb339. Usd 1.3 billion for 40 aircrafts, 24 FA-50, 16 TA-50.
2022 - receive 1st FA-50/TA-50
2024 - receive all FA-50/TA-50. By this time fighters available are 40 FA-50/TA-50, 32 Hornets (12 spare), 18 MKM.
2026 - open mrca tender to replace hornets.
2028 - pick a winner (FC-31, KF-X, TF-X, other 5th gen fighters?)
2029 - contract signing (32 aircraft for usd 3.0 billion)
2031 - 1st mrca received
2032 - start retiring hornets
2033 - Initial operational capability
2035 - Full operational capability. By this time fighters available are 40 FA-50/TA-50, 32 new 5th gen MRCA, 18 MKM.
...,
Great Idea But I don't Think MINDEF Will Asscpt this. As For me, Super Hornet will Get Useless When The Production was Out from St Louis by 2022 and Typhoon and Rafale Is Not the Biggest Choice Either. F-15SE Could Be good But Our Neighbour Singapore Won't Agered this.. I Think on 2019 Goverment will Announce To Buy MRCA. IF SH Was secleted, We Could get The Advance Super Hornet but It is still Developing. Let's Pray For that
Agreed. This idea seems economically viable (with OUR budget at least), and operationally sound as both quantity and quality of assets remains solid and ensures the capabilities of the RMAF remain as one of the better air forces in the Asian region.
Used typhoons already in the market. Italy is dumping theirs. When RAF gets more and more F35 probably putting some of their typhoons on the market as well
Reply
European Typhoon users cannot sell them outside of the continent. Even RAF older ones are the Tranche 1 which do not meet the MRCA specifications
Apart from the political aspect any MRCA [even a few years after 2020] will see see the main contenders being the Rafale and Typhoon - this of course unless we see a political change in the coming years. It's becoming increasingly obvious that there is no interest [politically] in Super Hornets and that neither the government nor the RMAF [no matter how much one wants to debate this issue] has any interest in acquiring pre owned platforms.
Moneyeyes - ''In fact, who are we trying to kid? We’re not going to use our fighters in any role other than strategic defensive ones.
''Strategic defensive ones''? What does that mean? Does an MKM launching a KH-31 on a target located on foreign soil or a Hornet attacking with Harpoon a target located in international waters constitute ''strategic defensive'' sorties? Whatever MRCA we buy - as well as what we currently have - will be required to perform a whole variety of taskings; some of which will not be classified as ''defensive''.
Whilst there is no doubt that quantity has a certain quality to it; whatever MRCA we buy will be limited to 18 or around that figure [even if we buy something cheaper or pre owned]. At the end of the day, despite interest and preference on the part of the RMAF in Super Hornets; it's not going to happen.
Safran - '' F-15SE Could Be good But Our Neighbour Singapore Won’t Agered this..''
Firstly, we never expressed an interest in F-15s and do we need a another heavyweight fighter when we already have twin seat MKMs? Secondly, Singapore will have no say in influencing what we intend on buying from Uncle Sam - this is not the case of a potential sale to an Arab country being influenced by pro Israel lobby groups, as happened in the past with the sale of E3s to Saudi.
Azlan,
It Won't be Happen Too For Rafale and Typhoon too.. First, Typhoon is 100% Expensive and Rafale Has a Limited BVR Missile (That What I Fear For). Even Super Hornet was Not Gonna Happen but I Bet The Production Was Closed in 2022 in St.Louis.