MBDA has secured further financing from the UK Ministry of Defence to expedite the advancement of the SPEAR-EW stand-in jammer.
SPEAR-EW is an innovative electronic warfare device crafted to bewilder and suppress adversary air defenses, safeguarding allied forces and serving as a significant force enhancer.
The additional Rapid Design Phase funding will hasten SPEAR-EW’s progression, refining all its essential sub-systems, and conducting mission and planning assessments.
Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK, stated: “SPEAR-EW is poised to be a true revolutionary in the suppression and neutralization of enemy air defenses. Recently, we’ve observed that air defense systems are exceedingly challenging to counter with the present toolkit: SPEAR-EW is the solution that will empower allied air forces to tackle this issue and achieve air dominance.”
Dean Pask, Senior Responsible Owner for the Spear at the MOD, remarked on the commitment: “By embracing collaborative partnerships, agile methodologies, and strategic innovation, we remain resolutely committed to ensuring that our front line commands receive essential capabilities in the most efficient and effective way possible.”
The weapon’s electronic warfare payload is being advanced by Leonardo and employs the firm’s Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) technology. This technology is established, has proven its effectiveness in trials, and will provide the sophisticated sensing and electronic attack capabilities of SPEAR-EW. Operators will be capable of employing SPEAR-EW to jam enemy radar systems as well as execute more nuanced electronic warfare operations, such as generating decoy targets to divert the attention of hostile systems away from manned aircraft or effectors.
Iain Bancroft, SVP Electronic Warfare at Leonardo UK, expressed: “SPEAR-EW will integrate a premier electronic warfare payload, designed and produced here in Luton, UK. Drawing from our expertise in delivering onboard jamming capabilities for the Eurofighter Typhoon and, more recently, off-board jamming through our BriteCloud expendable active decoy, our technology can effectively counter current threats while remaining adaptable for future challenges.”
SPEAR-EW utilizes the identical airframe as MBDA’s SPEAR miniature cruise missile, currently being manufactured for the Royal Air Force. This commonality has lowered the development expenses for SPEAR-EW and is also enabling a united integration/launcher solution, alleviating logistics burdens and offering a substantial load-out capacity.
