MBDA SPEAR

MBDA SPEAR is a family of air-launched weapons that MBDA UK is developing for the Royal Air Force's Select Precision Effects At Range Capability 3 programme, which gives the missile its name. The core weapon is a 100 kg class air-to-surface cruise missile about 1.8 m long and 180 mm in diameter, driven by a small turbojet that reportedly gives it a reach beyond 140 km, and guided by inertial navigation, satellite positioning, a two-way datalink and a multimode seeker. Related versions include SPEAR-EW, an electronic warfare variant that can act as a stand-in jammer or decoy, and the unpowered SPEAR Glide. It is planned for the internal bays of the F-35B and has flown on the Eurofighter Typhoon; the first live firing was at Vidsel in October 2024, and the in-service date has slipped to the early 2030s.