MISSILE manufacturers MBDA could arm the Royal Air Force’s new remotely piloted aircraft.

The Bolton based company is working with the Ministry of Defence to integrate its Brimstone precision strike missile on the new Protector as part of the the RAF’s Protector Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) programme.

If confirmed, the new drone — the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) Certifiable Predatory B — will enter service with the British weapon.

MBDA will now work together with the UK and American defence departments and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) for integration trials and test firings towards the end of the decade. The Bolton-based missile firm says that the weapon “promises to arm Protector with the ability to strike fast moving, manoeuvring targets with both man in the loop post launch guidance and also autonomous post launch all weather capabilities”.

And it adds that this confirms that the missile “is a true multi-platform weapon that can operate across fast jets, RPAS and, most recently, helicopters.

“A number of further enhanced capabilities are planned to be developed and incorporated into the solutions for Protector, AH-64E and Typhoon, demonstrating MBDA’s commitment to spirally evolve the weapon to meet changing customer needs and adapting to new threats.”

The missile has already successfully completed a series of trial firings on MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aerial vehicle during early 2014 which saw weapon engaging 70mph and manoeuvring targets with extreme precision from the RPAS., which is said to have “been unmatched by any other weapon since”.

MBDA UK sales and business development director, James Allibone, said: “Brimstone offers customers the ability to have one missile that can operate across their fleet of operational aircraft, whether they are jets, RPAS or helicopters.

“One missile for all platforms means customers benefit from simplified and more efficient training, logistics and inventory management as well as Brimstone’s outstanding precision against the most challenging of targets.”

Brimstone is an air–to-surface precision attack weapon currently being used in operations over Syria and Iraq by the RAF.