Target Brimar National Demonstration

Brimar manufactures a range of screens and viewing equipment, including specialist cathode ray tubes. Although Brimar makes some equipment and components for civilian uses, it has come to mainly specialise in military devices.

Brimar's devices are found in fighter planes, attack helicopters, tanks, armoured vehicles and ground-based missile launchers. As they proudly declare on their website, “Warfighters around the world rely on Brimar products every day”.

In tanks and other armoured vehicles, Brimar's screen and display equipment allow the occupants to see what's going on outside and to aim weaponry at targets. In aircraft, components made by Brimar are used in 'head-up', 'head-down' and helmet-mounted displays, used to aim and fire weapons.

With products in a wide range of military machinery it is no surprise that Brimar's devices have been in use in many wars and conflicts across the globe.

Israeli Apache helicopter pilots in Gaza, US marines in tanks in Fallujah, British Apache pilots in Afghanistan, and US fighter pilots over Iraq all aim and fire their deadly weaponry with display equipment made in Greater Manchester.

British Apache pilots in Afghanistan are using Brimar’s devices to aim and fire some of the world’s most deadly and controversial weapons - thermobaric missiles. Apache helicopters have fired these weapons into buildings and caves, to create a pressure wave which sucks the air out of victims, shreds their internal organs and crushes their bodies. After 18 months debating the legality of using thermobaric weapons, MoD legal experts side-stepped the ethical problems by redefining them.

“We no longer accept the term thermobaric [for the AGM-114N] as there is no internationally agreed definition. We call it an enhanced blast weapon.”
MoD Spokesperson quoted in Sunday Times, 28th July 2008

The manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, still markets them as thermobaric missiles.

Brimar's devices are also used to aim and fire depleted uranium (DU) munitions from aircraft and tanks. DU munitions contain nuclear waste and they leave a legacy of deadly radioactive dust. DU munitions were extensively used in the Gulf War, in Kosovo and in the Iraq War.

Brimar is a small cog in the war machine. A cog located in Greater Manchester.

The Target Brimar campaign want to see Brimar no longer manufacturing or selling any components for military uses or servicing or repairing any already installed military components. Target Brimar want the directors of Brimar to halt military production or resign their directorships. They want the workers to refuse to work on military components any more. Target Brimar will be continue their campaign until they do.

There are many ways that you can support the campaign against Brimar.

* talk to friends, neighbours and colleagues
* distribute leaflets and put up posters
* contact your local media
* contact your local councillors, MP and MEP
* get your union to support the campaign
* join our protests and vigils outside the factory
* organise with your friends and do your own protests
* be creative
* every little bit helps


Come to the Target Brimar launch demonstration: Noon, Saturday 17th October - Manchester

More details and meeting point will be available from  http://www.targetbrimar.org.uk