Type Air-to-surface missile Used by Royal Air Force Weight < 220 lb (100 kg) | Place of origin United Kingdom Manufacturer MBDA (UK) Ltd, Henlow Length 71 in (1,800 mm) | |
The Select Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) Capability 3 is a future British air-to-ground, possibly anti-tank, anti-structure, and anti-ship missile.
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Background
MBDA was awarded an Assessment Phase contract for SPEAR 3, a standoff attack weapon that would replace Brimstone 2 (SPEAR Cap 2). This is specified to have a range of at least 100 km, however the UK MoD and MBDA believe that they can achieve over 120 km (62+nm). The weapon will make substantial reuse of Brimstone modules. The 2 m (6.6 ft) weapon will fly at high-subsonic speed using a turbojet and wing kit, and will feature a multimode seeker with INS/GPS guidance and datalink. The assessment phase concluded with flight trials in 2014 on Typhoon. The missile is set to use the same Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet as the JSOW-ER. MBDA has shown artwork of a four-missile launcher on a single Typhoon weapon station, and four will fit with a Meteor air-to-air missile in each internal weapons bay of the F-35B. In May 2016, the MOD awarded a £411 million contract to MBDA for the development of the air-launched SPEAR 3 missile specifically for the UK's F-35B fighters. SPEAR 3 however, will only be integrated on the Block 4 software package of the F-35B.
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 Typhoon 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.