MBDA has entered low-rate production of the SPEAR 3 mini cruise missile after completing a successful testing campaign, with the first operational deliveries planned for early 2027. Developed as the Selective Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR 3) weapon, the 100-kilogram, turbojet-powered, network-enabled missile was initially designed to equip the Royal Air Force’s F-35B fleet. The company is now broadening the missile’s compatibility by integrating it with several European fourth-generation fighter aircraft while developing a triple-round pylon launcher for external carriage. Future deployment has also been confirmed for General Atomics’ MQ-9B unmanned aircraft and the Gambit 6 collaborative combat aircraft. SPEAR 3 is engineered to neutralize enemy air defense systems by striking fixed and mobile targets from stand-off distances greater than 100 kilometers, allowing aircraft to operate beyond the reach of hostile surface-to-air missile systems. Its advanced two-way datalink enables real-time mission updates, target reassignment, and mission cancellation, while a dual-mode seeker using millimeter-wave radar and semi-active laser guidance ensures highly accurate all-weather engagements. The missile’s compact design increases aircraft weapon capacity, enabling multiple simultaneous target engagements, while its programmable multi-effect warhead optimizes mission effectiveness with reduced collateral damage. Beyond the baseline missile, MBDA is developing SPEAR Glide, featuring a larger warhead in place of the turbojet engine, and SPEAR EW, a stand-in electronic attack variant fitted with Leonardo’s DRFM-based jamming payload. The company has also integrated its Orchestrike AI technology, allowing multiple SPEAR missiles to cooperate autonomously and respond to changing battlefield threats in real time.
