Войти

SPEAR3 small-size cruise missiles for the UK Armed Forces

4133
1
0

The UK Ministry of defence on 6 January 2021 announced about signing of a contract worth 550 million pounds from the British branch of the European missile Association MBDA to complete the development and batch production of new small-sized cruise missiles SPEAR3 for weapons of the fifth generation fighter Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II UK armed forces. The number of missiles ordered was not disclosed.

Image of small-sized MBDA SPEAR3 cruise missiles launched from the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter (c) MBDA

It is reported that within 18 months from the date of writing the contract, full-scale tests of SPEAR3 missiles from the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter should be started, and in 2023, serial deliveries of missiles to equip British F - 35B fighters will begin.

Small-sized promising high-precision ammunition SPEAR (British designation - SPEAR3), intended primarily for placement in the internal armament compartments of the Lockheed Martin F-35 tactical fighter (including the F-35B variant), was developed by the British department of MBDA (MBDA UK) under a contract of the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom under the requirements of the SPEAR (Selected Precision Effects At Range) Capability 3 program (hence the number "3" in the British designation).

SPEAR is actually a further development of the well-known family of British guided munitions MBDA Brimstone and is a miniature cruise missile with a length of 1.8 meters and a body diameter of 180 mm, externally very similar to the small-sized Raytheon GBU-53 SDB II guided bomb, but differing in the use of a small Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet engine (also used on the American Lockheed Martin JSOW-ER missile). This gives the SPEAR a range of up to more than 140 km when dropped from high altitudes. The weight of the entire ammunition is about 100 kg. The guidance system includes a multi-channel homing head, apparently based on such a Brimstone 3 missile and including active millimeter-wave radar, infrared and semi-active laser channels, in combination with an inertial satellite system and a two-way data transmission equipment. The missile is designed to hit stationary and moving targets, and is planned, among other things, to be used as an anti-ship missile as part of the armament of British F-35B deck-based aircraft.

In each of the two weapons bays of the F-35B will be possible to accommodate up to four ammunition SPEAR, in addition, SPEAR missiles on external suspension will be capable of carrying a combat aircraft of other types - so fighter Eurofighter Typhoon can carry up to 16 missiles.

In 2014, flight tests of SPEAR missile demonstrators from the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft were launched, as a result of which in May 2016, the British Ministry of Defense awarded MBDA UK a contract of 411 million pounds for full-scale development of the system. In 2019, an additional contract was signed for the integration of the missile into the F-35B armament complex.

The rights to this material belong to
The material is placed by the copyright holder in the public domain
  • The news mentions
Comments [1]
№1
11.01.2021 10:56
Вещь!
0
Inform
Do you want to leave a comment? Register and/or Log in
ПОДПИСКА НА НОВОСТИ
Ежедневная рассылка новостей ВПК на электронный почтовый ящик
  • Discussion
    Update
  • 04.07 08:52
  • 459
Израиль усиливает меры безопасности в связи с опасениями ударов со стороны Ирана
  • 04.07 05:14
  • 9549
Without carrot and stick. Russia has deprived America of its usual levers of influence
  • 04.07 04:16
  • 2
Expert Kuzyakin: Ukraine uses marketing to recruit Russian citizens
  • 04.07 03:47
  • 1
Is Europe ready for war? (Financial Times, UK)
  • 04.07 03:20
  • 1
Ростех запускает свой токен RUBx
  • 04.07 02:45
  • 1
Миронов предложил создать морские ЧВК для охраны торгового флота
  • 04.07 02:40
  • 0
Ответ на "«Полный провал конкурента С-400»: в индийской прессе раскритиковали дебют китайского ЗРК HQ-9B на поле боя"
  • 03.07 22:31
  • 2
В добавление к "Интеллектуальные способности высших военных командиров"
  • 03.07 17:40
  • 1100
Израиль "готовился не к той войне" — и оказался уязвим перед ХАМАС
  • 03.07 14:31
  • 6
"An order for hundreds of vehicles is possible": the Slovak Wolf 25 AD armored anti-drone vehicle is being tested in Ukraine
  • 03.07 09:20
  • 2
В России заметили огневую точку с корабельной пушкой
  • 03.07 02:02
  • 1
Ответ на "Утечки раскрыли тайный британский план “потопить весь Черноморский флот” (The Grayzone, США)"
  • 03.07 01:45
  • 1
Russia has issued a harsh ultimatum to Britain: "Openly hostile!" (Daily Express, UK)
  • 03.07 00:33
  • 1
В США оценили создающую проблемы для НАТО ракету России
  • 03.07 00:26
  • 1
Short bursts: new Kalashnikov assault rifles are being tested in the free zone