A British Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 jet has used a Brimstone 2 missile against ISIS in Syria for the first time.
The Typhoon launched the missile to target a boat used by the Islamic terrorist group on the Euphrates river.
The Brimstone missile destroyed the boat, which could have been used by the group to bring in supplies or set up operations elsewhere.
The first operational firing of the Brimstone precision attack missile capability comes after the Typhoon received three weapons upgrades last month under ‘Project Centurion’.
In addition to Brimstone, the project involved equipping the Typhoon jet with Storm Shadow deep strike cruise missile and Meteor air-to-air missile.
With the enhancements, the jets can now intercept airborne missiles and strike ground-based targets, filling in for the Tornado as it nears retirement.
In addition, two ISIS strong-points, including a heavy machine-gun position, were destroyed using Paveway IV precision-guided bomb following a request for assistance from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
According to the Ministry of Defence, the UK and its coalition partners have reduced the frequency of strikes in the region this month due to a large civilian presence in the territory where the ISIS militants are confined to.
Civilians are being transported to safety by SDF, the ministry statement added.
During a series of strikes in December, the coalition partners destroyed ISIS logistics facilities and staging areas in the Middle Euphrates River Valley.
The coordinated attacks also targeted several ISIS financial centres and capabilities in Susah and As Shafah, causing a severe impact on the group’s ability to finance its activities.
