LONDON – British F-35B fighter jets to be fitted with a new mini-cruise missile following the signing of a £ 550 million (US $ 750 million) production contract by the Ministry of Defense and MBDA contractor, the company said on January 6 announced.
In the agreement, the Spear 3 rocket would be able to reach the initial operational capability of the aircraft in 2025, making it the primary air-to-ground weapon for the Lockheed Martin jets now in use at the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
At present, the weapon, which has a distance of more than 140 kilometers, is intended to fit only on the F-35B models. But that could change, as Defense Department officials acknowledge that there is a possibility that Spear 3 could eventually be installed on the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon fighters fleet.
“There is increasing recognition around the benefits of broadening platform access and developing a range of Spear variants to maximize community within Spear, for both additional military capabilities and to meet the potential demand of export customers,” said one defense officer said.
‘There is a striving requirement to integrate the operational capability of Spear 3 into Eurofighter Typhoon, as well as Italy and Germany. [partners with Britain on the Typhoon program] shows interest, ”the official added.
A joint team of MBDA, BAE Systems and the MoD has previously undertaken ground trials and transported a typhoon launcher with three missiles.
MBDA’s British arm has been testing Spear 3 from a Typhoon since 2016. According to the company, guided firing of the weapon from a Typhoon in support of the Spear 3 development for the F-35B will begin within 18 months.
Among the Spear variants considered interesting, the MoD is an electronic war weapon.
MBDA received a technology demonstration contract in 2019 to investigate such an application. The agreement has been extended and work is currently underway in collaboration with partner company Leonardo.
The new demonstration and production contract announced today follows the successful implementation of the £ 150 million arms development contract placed in 2016 and a £ 411 million deal in 2019 for the integration of Spear 3 into the F-35.
Doug Barrie, the senior air analyst at the International Institute of Strategic Studies brainstorming in London, said the availability of the weapon would be an important step forward for the British F-35B strike force.
“Spear 3 is a key element of the British F-35B air-to-surface capability, intended to provide a medium-range propelled weapon with a credible internal cargo at a wide target set,” he said.
MBDA chief Eric Beranger said: “stand-alone, network-activated and swarming weapons are an important part of MBDA’s vision – Spear is at the forefront of these technologies and is the most technically advanced weapon of its kind.”
The seven-year demonstration and production contract will begin manufacturing missiles and launch programs in 2023.
The acronym Spear stands for ‘selective precision effects at a distance’. Spear variants 1 and 2 are the Raytheon Paveway IV precision-guided bomb and MBDA Brimstone rocket, respectively.
The F-35B can carry up to eight Spear 3 missiles in its internal bay and further missiles on the wing.
Like the Brimstone, it uses both millimeter wave and semi-active laser viewfinders.