The UK has conducted a first air-launched guided firing of MBDA’s Spear lightweight cruise missile, from a BAE Systems-operated Eurofighter Typhoon testbed.
Recently conducted at the Vidsel test range in Sweden, the activity “demonstrated the release, gather and long-range free-flight control of the missile following a high-altitude and high-speed release”, the Royal Air Force (RAF) says.
An image released by MBDA shows the wing-kit-equipped weapon – which was not equipped with a warhead – about to impact a main battle tank target at the end of its flight.
“Designed to be used against mobile, relocatable, defended, or challenging targets”, including during suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) duties, the turbojet-powered missile has a range of up to 54nm (100km), the RAF says.
Weighing roughly 100kg (220lb), and 2m (6ft 5in) in length, it is equipped with an all-weather radar seeker.
Each of the UK’s Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II combat aircraft will be able to carry up to eight Spear weapons, using a pair of four-round launchers, including while embarked on the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
“This is the first in a campaign of firings to demonstrate the missile’s capabilities,” notes Dean Pask, the UK Ministry of Defence’s senior responsible owner for Spear. “We look forward to continuing this momentum as we advance our domestic capabilities and strengthen our commitments to our allies,” he adds.
MBDA tactical strike director Mike Mew describes Spear as “a truly unique weapon system – the first to offer the range, flexibility, precision and load-out to defeat modern enemy air defences”.
The European guided weapons specialist has also been working on a Spear-EW stand-in jammer version of the developmental weapon, for use in the SEAD role.
In addition to its future integration with the F-35 during the US-led programme’s Block 4 enhancement phase, Chris Moon, BAE’s UK delivery director for Typhoon capability, notes: “We look forward to the next phase of Spear trials, as well as delivering the testing of many other world-leading capabilities in support of the RAF Typhoon force.”
