The British-developed missile widely used by the Ukrainian army is getting an entirely new method of supply: a massive quadcopter drone capable of carrying a weight of 300 kilograms (661 lb) while maintaining a 30-kilometer (18-mile) spread.
The new system combines a T-650 drone developed by British arms producers BAE Techniques and Malloy Aeronautics with a Nice British Sulfur II Precision missile, with a payload of 6.3kg and a range of up to 60km (37 miles).
According to the DVD Conservation Convention story, BAE planned to equip his drone last week Three Brimstone II missilesEach weighs up to 50kg and reaches the higher limit of its range when launched from the air as an alternative to ground launchers.
These missiles are notably lethal due to their dual homing capabilities: they will find their targets by detecting millimeter-wave radar indicators, and they will also be laser-guided to the target. While the Brimstone II’s payload was much smaller than the similarly designed U.S. Hellfire missile, the Brimstone’s lighter weight allowed it to successfully increase speed and launch from earlier aircraft.
MBDA, which manufactures Brimstone missiles and different tools for the British Navy, also showcased new ground-launched technology for its missile system on DVD, showing a launcher capable of firing up to eight missiles. In his demonstration, the Brimstone Launcher was attached to a Boxer Navy Armoured Vehicle and a Supacat Light High Mobility Vehicle.
The MBDA said it was developing Brimstone into a “single-missile, multi-platform” system, but in some cases frontline fighters were not waiting for improvements in protection trade to make it onto the Ukrainian front.
British authorities have sent Brimstone missiles to Ukraine and intend to ship more. Having advanced naval {hardware} for brimstone launchers is of course still below improvement, Ukrainian soldiers have turned civilian cars into makeshift naval vehicles often called “technicians”, many of which are equipped with brimstone launchers.
Missiles fired from drones are a special ball game, as most drones used by either side in the Ukrainian struggle should not be designed to fire missiles, but to fairly detect shelling targets – a historically A navy occupation that performs and is performed in the majority of people harmful to the job.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces also reportedly make extensive use of kamikaze drones: low-cost, off-the-shelf {hardware} capable of handling a bundle of explosives large enough to display directly as a remote-controlled bomb.
Whether the exact air-to-ground Brimstone attack would hit the Ukrainian battlefield quickly is unclear. There does not appear to be an official timetable for the T-650 or its missile-equipped vehicles. When the T-650 was previewed last year, a BAE consultant said he hoped to have the car available to potential customers by 2023. ®
Rocket launch quadcopter likely to be sent to Ukraine • The Register