DSEI 2025: Moog RIwP with Brimstone Missiles Offering UK Army Precision Strike and Counter-Drone Capability.

During DSEI 2025 in London, Moog unveiled a new evolution of its Reconnaissance Integrated Weapon Platform (RIwP), tailored for the British Army’s Modular Counter-Capability Overwatch (MCCO) program. This configuration embodies a response to the changing nature of modern warfare, where forces must combine reconnaissance, precision strike, and counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capabilities within a single platform. Its relevance lies in addressing battlefield lessons drawn from Ukraine and other recent conflicts, where the need for dispersed units to independently counter both armor and drones has become critical.
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Moog’s presentation at DSEI 2025 underscores how modern weapon stations are shifting from single-role mounts to multifunctional platforms (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

The updated RIwP introduces a fully canisterized launcher for four surface-launched Brimstone missiles, ensuring better protection and survivability compared to exposed configurations. In addition to this long-range precision strike option, the system integrates a 30x113mm cannon for medium-caliber engagements, a 7.62mm self-defense heavy machine gun for close protection, and a gunner’s EO/IR sight for advanced targeting and reconnaissance. This combination allows the RIwP to simultaneously deliver counter-armor, counter-drone, and direct fire support, providing a truly layered lethality package on a single mount adaptable to multiple vehicle platforms.

Since its initial conception, the RIwP has been developed as a modular, open-architecture turret capable of hosting different weapons to meet operational requirements. Its development has evolved from trials as a remote weapon station into a multifunctional combat system. With Brimstone, already combat-proven with the Royal Air Force, the RIwP becomes more than a defensive station, transforming into a hybrid node of reconnaissance, force protection, and precision strike. This capability reflects a broader evolution in turret systems, moving beyond the simpler machine gun mounts of the CROWS or Protector RWS into a class of weapon stations that merge surveillance with direct offensive action.

What sets this configuration apart is its ability to combine anti-armor missiles, a medium-caliber cannon, and C-UAS capability in one integrated architecture. Unlike traditional vehicle-mounted missile launchers or standalone turrets, the RIwP can respond dynamically to a variety of threats, from heavy armor at long range to small drones and infantry at close distances, without requiring separate platforms. Its adoption of Brimstone mirrors the trajectory of other precision strike integrations, such as the Spike LR on European infantry vehicles, but with added depth thanks to the cannon and machine gun pairing.

The strategic implications are significant. For the British Army, this system would enhance the Force Overwatch doctrine by delivering mobile, organic precision firepower at battlegroup level, reducing reliance on airstrikes in contested airspaces. It also strengthens the UK’s deterrent within NATO, showing readiness to adapt to drone-centric warfare and armor-heavy scenarios simultaneously. Geopolitically, the system could appeal to allies facing similar dual challenges, opening opportunities for defense-industrial cooperation and exports.

Moog’s presentation at DSEI 2025 underscores how modern weapon stations are shifting from single-role mounts to multifunctional platforms. By combining reconnaissance, counter-drone defense, and precision anti-armor strike, the RIwP with Brimstone redefines what an overwatch system can deliver on the modern battlefield, setting a new benchmark for adaptable lethality.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.