Britain Greenlights Manufacturing of MBDA’s Cutting-Edge SPEAR Mini-Cruise Missile
MBDA has secured a contract amounting to £550 million for the manufacturing of the SPEAR missile system from the UK Ministry of Defence. SPEAR (referred to in UK service as SPEAR3) is a pioneering network-enabled miniature cruise missile.
SPEAR will serve as the primary medium-to-long-range strike capability for the UK F-35 combat aircraft, equipping them to neutralize formidable targets such as mobile long-range air defense systems at over-the-horizon distances in all weather conditions and in highly contested environments.
Guided firing operations of SPEAR are slated to commence within 18 months from a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft, with missile and launcher production set to initiate in 2023. This new agreement follows the successful completion of the weapon development phase contract for SPEAR awarded in 2016 and the integration contract for SPEAR onto F-35 in 2019.
Éric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, stated: “MBDA is thrilled to have been awarded this contract, which is the culmination of many years of dedicated effort by our talented engineering team. Stand-off, network-enabled, and swarming weapons are integral to MBDA’s vision – SPEAR is at the forefront of these innovations and stands as the most technologically advanced weapon of its kind.”
The contract for SPEAR will create a peak of 570 employment opportunities at MBDA, in addition to another 200 in the Tier 1 supply chain. This will lead to the establishment of 190 highly skilled technology positions at MBDA, focusing on system design, software development, seekers, and guidance control & navigation in Stevenage, Bristol, and Bolton. It is part of the Portfolio Management Agreement (PMA), a collaboration launched in 2010 between the UK MoD and MBDA focused on sovereign complex weapon design and production. The PMA delivers exceptional military equipment for the UK Armed Forces and has safeguarded over 4,000 jobs in the UK at MBDA while generating financial savings exceeding £1.2 billion.
