Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pilots will be equipped with the SPEAR 3 missile following the first successful guided firing trial. A test firing in Sweden saw the weapon launched from a BAE Systems-operated Typhoon jet. NOW READ: Royal Navy aircraft carriers would “get sunk” in most war games, report says The missile is designed to be used against a range of targets, including air defences, ships, tanks, defended structures and fast-moving vehicles.
Once in service it will be fitted to Britain’s F-35B fighter jets and allow the military to strike targets both from land and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. The test saw SPEAR autonomously navigate to the target via customisable routes before using its advanced all-weather radar seeker to map the target area, and use the radiofrequency imagery to successfully engage it. Developed in the UK by MBDA, work on SPEAR supports several hundred jobs among MBDA’s 5,500-strong UK workforce, with design work mainly in Stevenage and Bristol and manufacturing in Bolton.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard said: "The successful trial of the pioneering SPEAR missile marks a significant leap forward in UK Armed Forces’ capabilities, ensuring our Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel are equipped with cutting-edge technology to protect our nation. This achievement not only strengthens national defence capabilities but also boosts the UK economy, by supporting high-skilled jobs and innovation." F-35B jets will be abl.