Soaring Innovation: Unleashing SPEAR Missiles on the KF-21 Boramae Fighter
Following an accord established in June 2023 between MBDA and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI), a significant achievement was realized on October 20th, 2025, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at the integration of the SPEAR Air-to-Ground missile onto the KF-21 Boramae fighter aircraft.
Disclosed during Seoul ADEX 2025, this MoU signifies an enhanced collaboration between MBDA and KAI, aiming to bolster the KF-21’s precision-strike capability by merging KAI’s advanced fighter technology with MBDA’s proficiency in intricate weapon systems.
The Korean KF-21 fighter aircraft, already armed with the METEOR Air-to-Air missile, is set to possess improved air-to-ground functionality with the incorporation of the SPEAR. This latest offering from MBDA is designed to deliver precision effects with minimal collateral damage, increased resiliency for platforms/weapons, and a substantial payload for prolonged operations. Fueled by a turbojet engine and equipped with a precision effects warhead along with an advanced multi-sensor seeker, the SPEAR missile is capable of engaging a broad array of target types beyond the horizon, both on land and at sea.
In the wake of the June 2023 accord, this MoU further solidifies the robust collaboration between both entities, who have demonstrated commitment and shared ambition to explore new avenues for the integration of additional MBDA weaponry onto KAI platforms.
