New SPEAR Missile Makes Debut

RAF and Royal Navy pilots will benefit from a cutting-edge new cruise missile, following the first successful guided firing trial of the SPEAR missile.

SPEAR, which is a next generation turbojet-powered miniature cruise missile, successfully completed the trial after being fired from a BAE Systems-operated Typhoon jet at Vidsel range in Sweden. This most recent trial was the first time the weapons system had been launched from an aircraft, signifying a major leap forward in the programmes development.

Each missile can hit targets from 100km away and is designed to be used against mobile, relocatable, defended, or challenging targets. Once in service it will be fitted to Britain’s F-35B Lightning stealth fighter jets and allow the military to strike targets both from land and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

Developed in the UK by MBDA, work on the cutting-edge new SPEAR missile supports several hundred jobs among MBDA’s 5,500-strong UK workforce, with design work mainly in Stevenage and Bristol and manufacturing in Bolton.

Lightnings will be able to carry up to eight SPEAR missiles at a time, providing the next generation of long-range air-to-surface missiles. This guided firing trial marks a critical milestone in the development of the SPEAR programme, providing the next generation of stand-off air-to-surface missiles for Suppression of Enemy Air Defences missions in challenging and complex operating environments.

SPEAR autonomously navigates to the target via customisable routes using its advanced all-weather radar seeker to map the target area and radio-frequency imagery to successfully engage it.

The trial itself, which did not carry a live warhead, demonstrated the release, gather and long-range free-flight control of the missile following a high-altitude and high-speed release.

To read more, please visit the RAF's website.