Written answers published this week confirm that Project Brakestop, the UK’s effort to field a low-cost long-range one-way strike system, remains “broadly on track”.
Responding to Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the programme’s timeline had been “highly ambitious from the outset” but that “flight trials are broadly on track.” In a separate answer, he stated that the Ministry of Defence has “no defined in-service date for Project BRAKESTOP” and that production contracts are planned for 2026 following upcoming trials.
Brakestop is intended to deliver a “One-Way Effector (OWE) Heavy” capable of striking targets at more than 500 km from a mobile land launcher. The MoD has left the solution open, inviting proposals ranging from missile-like weapons to drone-based strike systems, so long as they can fly ballistic or low-level cruise trajectories, carry a 200–300 kg payload and navigate in GPS-denied, EW-contested environments.
According to earlier procurement documents, the system is expected to reach around 600 km/h and be produced at a minimum rate of 20 units per month, with a target cost of £400,000 per effector. The requirement stresses survivability, rapid deployment and an ability to operate in harsh multispectral and electromagnetic conditions.
Industry proposals were originally scheduled to produce a first demonstration firing in 2025, with serial production potentially following soon after. The latest parliamentary answers make clear that although the MoD is not ready to set an in-service date, it intends to move ahead with production contracting next year.
Pollard said additional details would follow once flight trials conclude and the department is confident in the system’s viability.
So here we go again! Despite many systems already in use and some battle tested we have to go onto this sodding merry go round of developing our own niche missile,probably at greater cost than just adopting a proven system🤬
I think to be fair we don’t have this capability at present UK long range group based precision fires are 70km range fires and that is it.. essentially tactical in nature.. this is essentially giving the army a conventional strategic capability. And in this case there is a lost nothing in western arsenals that would fire a 200-300kg payload 500km , the very best that the west fields at present is ATACM and that is a 300km range and it’s all US made and the US are just as likely to tell us we cannot fire it at someone as not… the US like us are just in the middle of developing a 500km range replacement for ATACM
So sorry we do actually have to invest in this and no we cannot just get a a battle proven system.
Yes we have to invest but WHEN? Yet Ukraine a country that is getting battered daily can design missiles like flamingo,Neptune etc and get them into service and flying into Russia with the distance and payloads you mention! They now even have their own ballistic missiles while we do yet another study!
This yet again will be blah blah for years and probably go nowhere!
Yes but they have actually said it is essentially a live and immediate essentially as soon as industry has a product we will buy it… the reality is this product does not exist yet they have asked industry to whip it. Up. And they will make a production purchase in 2026.. not 2030.. let’s not flame when there is no reason to flame… clearly this is an agile project so it’s not going to have the we will have 2 regiments worth by June 2030 type traditional MOD project management goals.
And do you want to know what is really funny the FP-5 Flamingo and the FP-5 missile advertised by defence industry startup Milanion Group at IDEX 2025 are essentially 90% identical.. and guess where the Milanion group limited is based in the UK and UAE.. essentially it’s a UK developed missile.. that Ukraine “somehow” got hold of and finished development of.. and it’s 100%assembled in Ukraine….
So as this was essentially UK MIC IP there is only one sovereign authority that allowed it to be finished in Ukraine. Why do you think Russia hates our guts so much and is coming for us.
By the sound of things it will be something less powerful than the Ukraine systems, as they are focused on it being cheap. I assume it’s going to be some form of drone based system.
I like the vaguely on track but no planned in service date. How can you judge progress if you dont have a deadline to judge against.
Even ukraine in the mess it is in now can get a system into service. The priority here as always is just pumping money into industry rather than buying actual hardware.
“Broadly on track…….no defined in service date”.
In politician speak, ‘broadly’ means ‘not really’.
This is good news indeed.. yes a bit vague.. but they are clearly trying to pound ahead as quickly as possible and if your running fast at risk programmes dates will always be vague.. if they are moving to production in 2026 then I’m happy for vague and for it to slip a bit. They could have simply stated we will have it in service for June 2030 and then spent 5 years testing it changing the spec and gold plating it…let’s not all get pissy because the MOD are trying to be agile.
Indeed. Some negative comments on here when it is a real example of the MOD reacting to the SDSR quickly.
“Increase its options for threatening retaliation—whether developed nationally or with allies—to convince a potential adversary that the cost of its actions will outweigh the potential benefits.”
The SDSR calls for the developed of a range of options. This is one of them. Good news I say.
“broadly on track”. meaning when ever, may be, some day. no firm date, need more meetings and round table chats might buy might not. Getting there?. Its the right path to go down but like so much its so vague a lot projects but no kit yet. Germany very recently ordered 200 plus RCH 155 us ? None. Says it all.
2000 Patria armoured vehicle ordered in principal with Babcock saying they will build them!166 RCH 155s ordered in principle!
AGAIN NO firm orders🤬it’s all talk!
Perhaps when their are FIRM orders the negative posts might actually stop!
Same issue with NMH helicopter orders – details of which are leaking out from Norway. I did think that the curve balls of Argus and Ajax might be the cause of delays but I’ve also heard reporters say that the Treasury won’t allow Healey to announce the DIP because ‘they can’t make the numbers add up.’ Frustration is setting in with suppliers. E.g Leonardo and Yeovil. We were promised an announcement in autumn!
I think we need to be a little bit careful.. you have just flamed the Uk government for saying it’s going to get a long range precision fires system building by 2026.. a capability that does not even exist anywhere in the west at all and yet lauded the German government for saying its ordered 229 155mm self propelled guns… ( a capability that exists all over the place with May off the self options) but it’s going to make a whole new 155mm self propelled gun platform ( when there are loads out there) sticking it on the most expensive 6 wheeled armoured vehicle ever made and yes it will have all 229 in service for 2028 out to 2034 ( years away) and just to be even more clear the German government has not yet made that firm order for 229 or even authorised the 3.9 billion it will cost.. infact the truly funny bit is this is a joint UK German programme and its very likely that the UK government and Germany government will commit to firm orders of the 155mm gun system at exactly the same time. Personally I think it’s the wrong system and we should have just ordered more archers are they are more air and strategically mobile and exist now.
More political yap and feeding the MIC monster with taxpayers money.
Another day, another promise of ……?