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Royal Air Force - RAF Weapons - Long-Range Air-to-Surface Weapons - ALARM
- Brimstone - Storm Shadow - r8a4 - Armed Forces
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LONG-RANGE
AIR-TO-SURFACE-WEAPONS
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ALARM
BRIMSTONE
STORM SHADOW
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ALARM
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ALARM stands for Air-Launched Anti Radiation Missile and this
type was introduced into RAF Service in the early 1990s. The
missile is launched at low level near the suspected site of an
enemy radar and, after launch, rapidly climbs to about 12,000 m.
At this height, a small parachute opens and the missile descends
earthwards while the on board radar searches the broadband for
emissions from enemy radar. Once a target has been identified,
the motor is re ignited and the missile makes a supersonic dive
onto the target.
The total RAF buy in the first manufacturing run was believed to
be some 750 missiles. Since its original entry into service,
radars have become increasingly more sophisticated in their
ability to avoid detection and attack by anti-radiation weapons
such as ALARM. As a result, the missile has been upgraded and its
capability improved.
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ALARM
Specifications
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Length
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4.3m
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Diameter
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0.22
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Span
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0.72m
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Weight
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265kg
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Propellant
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1
x Royal Ordnance Nuthatch solid fuel two-stage rocket
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Range |
93km |
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Guidance |
Passive
Radar Homing/Strap-down INS |
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BRIMSTONE
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The
Advanced Air-launched Anti-Armour Weapon (AAAW), known as Brimstone,
is an area weapon to attack enemy armoured forces as early
and as far forward as possible.
It replaces the BL755
cluster bomb in the anti-armour role, and will be carried
by Tornado GR4/4a, Harrier GR7/9 and Eurofighter Typhoon.
These fixed-wing aircraft will complement the capability
provided by the Apache AH64-D, which is armed with the
Hellfire anti-armour weapon. Brimstone operates automatically after launch, which helps reduce
the hazard to the attacking aircraft from enemy fire.
Development and procurement of Brimstone
has cost the RAF some £822m since 1996.The weapon entered
RAF service in mid 2005.
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BRIMSTONE
Specifications
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Diameter
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0.18m
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Length
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1.81m
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Weight
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49kg
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Propulsion
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Cast double-base
propellant rocket motor
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Cruising Speed
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Boost to
supersonic
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Range
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8km
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Guidance
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Inertial guidance +
seeker determination to target acquisition, then seeker
control
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Photo Copyright BAe Systems
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STORM
SHADOW
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Storm Shadow (also known as
Conventionally-Armed Stand-Off Missile or CASOM) is a
long-range, air-launched, stand-off attack missile that
will allow the RAF to attack high-priority targets deep
inside enemy territory without exposing the launch
aircraft to high-intensity enemy air defences.
The missile is the BAe version (with some UK
enhancements) of the French Matra APACHE/SCALP missile
and entered service in late 2002.
It is fitted to
Tornado GR4, Harrier GR7/GR9 and the Typhoon. The RAF is
believed to have purchased an initial batch of 500
missiles.
The programme cost is some
£980m. Storm Shadow was deployed operationally and fired
with tremendous success during the 2003 Iraq War.
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STORM SHADOW
Specifications
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| Length
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5.1m
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Diameter
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0.48m
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Span
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2.84m
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Weight
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1,300kg
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| Propulsion
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TRI 60-30
Turbofan
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Range
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Estimate
350km
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| Guidance
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Navigation using
(TERrain PROfile Matching) system
as well as GPS, Terminal guidance using imaging infra-red
sensor, Autonomous target recognition algorithms, BROACH
warhead.
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Photo Copyright MBDA
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