MBDA’s SPEAR air-to-ground miniature cruise missiles have conducted their maiden flight aboard an F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter, flown by a UK test pilot in the US.
MBDA’s SPEAR air-to-ground miniature cruise missiles have conducted their first test flight aboard an F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter, flown by a UK test pilot in the US.
The milestone involved a collaboration between the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the US government, along with the F-35 Integrated Test Force, MBDA, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems.
The fifth-generation aircraft, carrying four SPEAR missiles in its internal payload bay, was piloted by Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Nick Baker of the Air and Space Warfare Centre from the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in the US state of Maryland.
Data was gathered in preparation for future tests, including first mission systems integration and jettison trials.
The first test flight of the long-range SPEAR missiles on the F-35 platform follows the missiles’ first guided firings from a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet in Sweden in October 2024.
Interim Capability
The announcement comes after the London confirmed plans to acquire RTX’s Small Diameter Bomb II as an interim capability due to delays with the SPEAR 3’s integration on the UK’s F-35B fleet.
The SPEAR 3 was originally expected to enter service around 2025, but the timeline has slipped to the early 2030s as the program undergoes re-baselining amid wider F-35 integration and software-related delays, according to UK MoD statements cited by UK Defence Journal.
SPEAR Missiles
MBDA developed the SPEAR — which stands for Selective Precision Effect At Range — family to provide the UK with stand-off capabilities in missions involving the suppression of enemy air defenses.
Its baseline variant SPEAR 3 is turbojet‑propelled, uses a multi‑effect warhead and a multi‑mode seeker with INS/GPS and datalink, and is designed to operate in contested environments and resist countermeasures.
Measuring around 2 meters (6.5 feet) long and weighing under 100 kilograms (220 pounds), the cruise missile has a diameter of 180 millimeters (7 inches) and was designed to deliver precision strikes against moving and maneuvering targets on both land and sea, including air defense systems and armored vehicles.
While the weapon was primarily designed for the F-35B and Eurofighter Typhoon, it is also set for integration on the South Korean KF-21 Boramae fighter jet under a signed memorandum of understanding in 2025, following a 2023 agreement to explore a possible integration.
