MBDA is on target to add an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven collaborative capability to its precision-guided weapons range, and has named the developmental Spear missile as the first to benefit.
The European company says its Orchestrike technology – being demonstrated in a simulator at the Farnborough air show – “has rapidly developed from concept towards capability in 12 months”. It first disclosed the development activity at Le Bourget in June 2023.
Previewed to journalists at the company’s Stevenage site in Hertfordshire on 15 July, the tactical scenario being showcased involves a “digital-twin simulator featuring real missile AI [and] hardware, including new network-enabled datalinks”, it says.
The theoretical mission involves a four-missile “pack” of generic tactical strike weapons. Released from a manned fighter aircraft, these are tasked with engaging four ground-based targets: an air-defence radar, two surface-to-air missile launchers, and a hardened aircraft shelter.
Each equipped with a network-enabled datalink to share mission information within the formation, their launch aircraft and potentially additional platforms, the weapons are able to perform dynamic target reallocation in case of attrition.
“When one weapon is lost, the rest of the salvo understand that through a lack of communications, and will then reallocate themselves, to ensure that they always take out the highest-priority target,” says Greg Nunn, tactical strike domain lead, sales and business development. Also underpinned by enhanced mission planning, such a capability will “increase missile and platform survivability and overall mission performance”, MBDA says.
Drawing on Anglo-French project experience, the company also has developed AI algorithms to support simultaneous time on target performance by multiple weapons, and to enable them to manoeuvre around known enemy air defence systems.
“The Spear family of weapons will be the first cruise missiles to feature AI-enhanced collaboration, while keeping a human operator in the loop,” says MBDA. To be embodied via a spiral development process, this also will include the planned Spear EW electronic-attack version.
“The [AI] capability is not a significant additional cost”, but will deliver a “significant force multiplier improvement in how a customer will deliver an engagement”, Nunn says.
MBDA has already seen interest from the UK Royal Air Force in the AI-driven capability, he says, adding: “We are talking to them about the next steps.”
A first guided development firing of a Spear missile is due to take place later this year from a Eurofighter Typhoon, with the milestone to support its developer in securing design authority approval from military regulators.
The roughly 100kg (220lb), 2m (6ft 5in)-long weapon is slated for integration with the UK’s Lockheed Martin F-35Bs, as part of a future Block 4 package of updates. Ground-tests using a four-round launcher to be installed within the stealth fighter’s internal weapons bay are under way.
If carried externally by platforms such as the Eurofighter and Saab’s Gripen E, the weapons will be deployed using three-round launchers.
