The Spanish Ministry of Defense plans on awarding production contracts to industry for Brimstone air-to-surface missiles and new naval helicopters in 2023.
An acquisition to replace Spanish Navy SH-60B rotorcraft has already received interest from Airbus, offering an adapted NH90 Sea Lion helicopter, which is already in service with Germany.
The Brimstone missile will eventually be equipped on Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons, adding to an existing arsenal that includes GBU-10 and GBU-16 Paveway bombs, AIM-120B AMRAAM, Meteor and IRIS-T munitions.
“Hopefully, by the end of next year we will be able to carry Brimstone, which Spain is acquiring,” said Lt. Col. Jesus Salazar Ortiz de Landazuri, 14th Wing Air Group Commander, during the annual Airbus Trade Media Briefing.
The acquisition is expected to be supported by the UK’s Royal Air Force, as the weapon was originally developed for that service.
After a contract has been signed with European missile manufacturer MBDA, Spain’s Weapons and Experimentation Logistics Center (CLAEX) will then work on acquiring an initial implementation certification.
Spanish Air Force Eurofighter fleets from the 11th Fighter Wing at Morón Air Base, Seville and the 14th Tactical Fighter Wing at Albacete Air Base, Castile-La Mancha will both receive the weapon.
As plans currently stand, the 20 Eurofighters under order from Airbus as part of the €2 billion Halcon program designed to replace Spanish Air Force F-18s based on the Canary Islands, will not be equipped with the missile.
Meanwhile, as the Spanish Navy readies to replace Sikorsky SH-60B helicopters, a selection decision should be made in 2023.
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