SPEAR 3

The Select Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) Capability 3 is a future British air-to-ground and possibly anti-ship missile.[8][9]

SPEAR3
A triplet of SPEAR 3 missiles
TypeAir-to-surface missile
Electronic warfare system
Anti-ship missile
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
Used bySee Users
Production history
DesignerMBDA
Leonardo S.p.A.
ManufacturerMBDA (UK) Ltd, Henlow
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass< 220 lb (100 kg)[1][2]
Length= 71 in (1,800 mm)
Diameter= 7.1 in (180 mm)
Maximum firing range130 km
EngineTurbojet engine[3]
Operational
range
80 mi (130 km)[4][5][6] or 140km [7]
Steering
system
Flight control surfaces
Launch
platform
Typhoon (planned)
F-35B (planned)

Background
Main article: Brimstone (missile)

MBDA was awarded an Assessment Phase contract for SPEAR 3, a standoff attack weapon.[10] This is specified to have a range of at least 100 km, although current figures for SPEAR indicate a range over 130 km (80+nm).[11][N 1] The weapon will make substantial reuse of technologies from the Brimstone precision strike missile that is used for engagements at shorter ranges. The 2 m (6.6 ft) weapon will fly at high-subsonic speed using a turbojet and wing kit,[12] and will feature a multimode seeker with INS/GPS guidance and datalink.[12] The assessment phase concluded with flight trials in 2014[12] on the Eurofighter Typhoon.[13] The missile is set to use the same Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet as the JSOW-ER.[11][N 2] MBDA has shown artwork of a three-missile launcher on a single Typhoon weapon station,[12] and four will fit with a Meteor air-to-air missile in each internal weapons bay of the F-35B.[12][14] In May 2016, the MOD awarded a £411 million contract to MBDA for the development of the air-launched SPEAR 3 missile.[15] SPEAR 3 will be integrated with the F-35 Block 4 software package and is also planned to be used on the Eurofighter Typhoon.[16]

SPEAR 3 missile - wings deployed

Trials

In March 2016, a SPEAR trials missile was launched from a Eurofighter Typhoon trials aircraft operated by BAE Systems at the QinetiQ Aberporth range in Wales. The missile transitioned through separation from the aircraft to powered flight before completing a series of manoeuvres, ending in a terminal dive to the desired point of impact. The missile accurately followed the planned trajectory and was well within simulation predictions; all trial objectives were achieved.[17]

SPEAR EW

MBDA is also proposing a SPEAR Electronic Warfare version (SPEAR EW), a SEAD attack version for the RAF.[18] Networked swarm capability for SPEAR missiles is in development.[19]

gollark: Macron should not have registers, merely a giant contiguous `Vec<u8>` of memory.
gollark: Yes it is.
gollark: Wait, where are 3 and 4?
gollark: And do `infixr <|^|> 4`.
gollark: You can do```haskella <|^|> b = a + b * 2```or something like that (the operator can be composed out of an arbitrary set of symbols).

See also

References
  1. "The UK MOD and MBDA believe they can achieve north of 62 nautical miles for SPEAR." - Navy Recognition July 2014
  2. "SPEAR 3 has two small side intakes for its Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet." - Navy Recognition July 2014
  1. "SPEAR datasheet" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2020.
  2. "SPEAR - MBDA". Archived from the original on 13 August 2020.
  3. "High Performance Propulsion for Tactical Missiles and UAV's" (PDF). Whitney AeroPower. 19 May 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2016.
  4. "UK MoD funds further development of Spear 3 missile". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020.
  5. "MBDA SPEAR 3 missile would bring true anti-ship capabilities to RAF and FAA F-35s". Naval Recognition. 22 July 2014. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014.
  6. "No UK Spear Cap 3 Decision on F-35 until 2018". Defense News. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020.
  7. "SPEAR3 — FLEXIBILITY AND AN ALMIGHTY PUNCH". Eurofighter Typhoon. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019.
  8. "£411m invested in F-35s new anti-ship/tank/building mini-cruise missile". Navy News. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016.
  9. "Aimpoint selection: the UK's SPEAR Cap 3 air-to-surface weapon" (PDF). IHS Janes. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2015.
  10. "UK Study Contract Awarded to integrate Brimstone 2 onto Typhoon". Bae Systems. 29 March 2010. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016.
  11. Administrator. "MBDA SPEAR 3 missile would bring true anti-ship capabilities to RAF and FAA F-35s". Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  12. Hoyle, Craig (27 June 2012). "PICTURES: MBDA sharpens Spear missile design for F-35 integration". Flight International. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020.
  13. "House of Commons Written Answers Hansard". UK Parliament. 21 May 2013.
  14. "MBDA MISSILE CAPABILITIES F-35 LIGHTNING II" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2020.
  15. "£411 million investment in new missile for UK's new jets sustains 700 UK jobs". UK Ministry of Defence. 18 March 2016.
  16. "Storm Shadow dropped from UK's F-35B follow-on integration plan". IHS Janes. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016.
  17. "MBDA SHOWCASES THE SPEAR PRECISION STRIKE MISSILE FOR THE F-35". MBDA. 12 July 2016.
  18. "MBDA working on new SPEAR-EW electronic warfare weapon". MBDA. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  19. "SPEAR Mini-Cruise Missile Getting An Electronic Warfare Variant To Swarm With Is A Huge Deal - The Drive".

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