BROACH warhead

The BROACH warhead is a multi-stage warhead developed by Team BROACH; BAE Systems Global Combat Systems Munitions, Thales Missile Electronics and QinetiQ.^[1] BROACH stands for Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge.

Development of BROACH began in 1991 when Team BROACH consisted of British Aerospace RO Defence, Thomson-Thorn Missile Electronics and DERA. The two stage warhead is made up from an initial shaped charge, which cuts a passage through armour, concrete, earth, etc., allowing a larger following warhead to penetrate inside the target. The weapon is designed to allow a cruise missile to achieve the degree of hard-target penetration formerly only possible by the use of laser-guided gravity bombs.

Applications

• Storm Shadow/SCALP EG
• AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon unitary variant (JSOW-C)^[2]
• BROACH was evaluated as a possible warhead for the AGM-86D CALCM but was ultimately not selected.^[3]
• SOM (missile) B2 variant.

References

1. http://www.themanufacturer.com/uk/profile/6848/BAE_Systems_Land_Systems_Munitions?PHPSESSID=c88
2. "BAE Systems JSOW Unitary BROACH program enters operational test" - BAE Systems plc (Jan. 5, 2004) Press release.
3. Boeing Selects Lockheed Martin to Provide CALCM Hard-Target Warhead