MBDA’s SPEAR air-to-ground miniature cruise missiles have successfully completed their inaugural test flight aboard the F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter, piloted by a UK test pilot in the United States. This significant milestone was achieved through a collaborative effort involving the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), the US government, the F-35 Integrated Test Force, MBDA, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems.
During the test at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, the fifth-generation fighter, which was configured to carry four SPEAR missiles in its internal payload bay, was flown by Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Nick Baker from the Air and Space Warfare Centre. The flight focused on data collection necessary for subsequent tests, including the integration of mission systems and the jettisoning trials of the missiles.
This test flight marks the first demonstration of the long-range SPEAR missiles on the F-35 platform, following the missiles’ earlier successful guided firings from a Eurofighter Typhoon in Sweden in October 2024.
In light of these developments, the UK MoD has also indicated plans to procure RTX’s Small Diameter Bomb II as an interim solution due to delays in the integration of SPEAR 3 on the UK’s F-35B fleet. Initially expected to enter service around 2025, the SPEAR 3 program is now projected to slip into the early 2030s as it undergoes re-baselining amid broader F-35 integration challenges and associated software-related delays.
The SPEAR missile family, which stands for Selective Precision Effect At Range, was developed by MBDA to provide the UK with advanced stand-off capabilities for missions focused on suppressing enemy air defenses. The primary variant, SPEAR 3, showcases a turbojet propulsion system, a multi-effect warhead, and a multi-mode seeker that incorporates INS/GPS and datalink capabilities. Designed for operations in contested environments, the SPEAR 3 can effectively resist countermeasures.
Measuring approximately 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length and weighing under 100 kilograms (220 pounds), the cruise missile features a 180-millimeter (7-inch) diameter and is engineered for precision strikes against both land and sea targets, including air defense systems and armored vehicles.
While the SPEAR missile family is tailored mainly for use with the F-35B and Eurofighter Typhoon, plans are also in place for its integration with the South Korean KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, following a memorandum of understanding signed in 2025, which follows an agreement in 2023 to explore potential integration avenues.
