صرحت شركة BAE Systems يوم 28 سبتمبر الفائت انه قد اكتملت عملية دمج صواريخ Brimstone 2 على مقاتلات Typhoon قبل ثلاثة ايام كجزء من مرحلة التعزيز الثالثة P3Ea
وتأتي هذه الجهود كجزء من مشروع سنتوريون Project Centurion اذ مخطط ان تدخل جميع قدرات هذا المشروع الخدمة على مقاتلات سلاح الجو البريطاني بحلول نهاية عام 2018
وخلال ال 18 شهراً الماضية تم اكمال عدد من الرمايات للصواريخ الجوالة Storm Shadow و صواريخ القتال الجوي بعيد المدى Meteor بالاضافة الى صواريخ جو-سطح دقيقة الاصابة Brimstone 2 ، وقد تم عدد 9 عمليات فصل ورماية حية لصواريخ Brimstone 2 في الفترة ما بين 13 يوليو و 25 سبتمبر الفائت اذ تم الانتهاء من اختبارات الديناميكيا الهوائية وعمليات الفصل والاطلاق للصاروخ ، وهذا يعني ان المقاتلة تستطيع الان ان تتسلح بهذه الذخائر وتطير بها واطلاقها بشكل آمن
BAE Systems progresses Project Centurion with Brimstone milestone
BAE Systems has completed a major milestone in its efforts to roll out the Project Centurion configuration for the United Kingdom’s Eurofighter Typhoon force by the end of 2018.
Speaking to Jane’s on 28 September, Eurofighter Delivery Director Andy Flynn said the summer flight test campaign of the MBDA Brimstone air-to-surface missile had been successfully concluded three days previously, resulting in the low-yield missile now being safe for carriage on the Typhoon.
“Over the past 18 months we have done a number of Storm Shadow [cruise missile], Meteor [beyond visual range air-to-air missile], and Brimstone releases in the UK. There have been nine Brimstone jettisons and nine firings from 13 July to 25 September,” Flynn said, adding: “We have now completed the aerodynamic integration and the stores release and jettison – this means it is now safe to fly and fire through the required performance envelope of the aircraft. This is a really positive step!”
The Project Centurion configuration is intended to combine the already-delivered Raytheon Paveway IV precision-guided bomb, and the Storm Shadow, Meteor, and Brimstone on the Typhoon FGR4 in time for the retirement from Royal Air Force (RAF) service of the Panavia Tornado GR4 in 2019.
“Project Centurion from contract award to in-service is four-and-a-half years, including putting Storm Shadow and Meteor onto the aircraft – this is quite challenging. We are focused on delivering what the customer needs when the customer needs it,” Flynn said, noting: “It’s about using the power of the Eurofighter partnerships (Airbus Germany and Spain, Leonardo, and MBDA), and a whole force approach to capability delivery.
http://www.janes.com/article/74465/bae-systems-progresses-project-centurion-with-brimstone-milestone
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