Investment Finalized for Missile Integration on UK and Italian F-35 Aircraft

BAE Systems and MBDA have acquired additional financing to finalize the advancement and incorporation of next-generation munitions capabilities on the F-35 fleets of the UK and Italy.

This extends from the fruitful integration efforts initiated in 2019 by BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and MBDA to enhance the UK F-35 weapon systems.

The funding will enable industry teams to undertake integration tasks for the SPEAR precision surface strike munitions onto the UK F-35s. This cutting-edge missile will augment the UK’s future aerial combat capabilities through its network-enabled, high load-out, multi-effect attributes with improved stand-off range. This advancement will further empower the UK Lightning Force to engage challenging targets such as mobile long-range air defense systems at over-the-horizon distances under various weather conditions and in intensely contested scenarios.

The financing will also facilitate the completion of the integration of MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile on both the F-35A and F-35B aircraft for the UK and Italian military forces. Meteor’s networking and range capabilities are exceptionally compatible with the F-35’s sensor array to deliver unmatched effectiveness in the battlespace.

A collective of engineers from BAE Systems, MBDA, and Lockheed Martin will now initiate the testing, simulation, and integration activities in the UK and US to achieve initial operational capability for both weapon systems.

Paul Mead, MBDA’s Group Business Development Director, stated:

“We are thrilled that work is progressing swiftly to deliver Meteor and SPEAR capabilities for the F-35. This is also a positive advancement for the broader F-35 initiative as it expands capability options for all international clients across diverse variants of the aircraft. MBDA’s integration team has collaborated effectively with our colleagues from BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin thus far, and we aim to build upon this outstanding foundation moving forward on this crucial follow-on modernization project.”

Tom Fillingham, Senior Vice President, US Programmes, BAE Systems’ Air Sector, remarked:

“State-of-the-art munitions systems, such as Meteor and SPEAR, will equip the UK and Italian armed forces with a tactical advantage. Our highly proficient engineers play a vital role across the entire F-35 programme and in this integration endeavor. We anticipate continuing our collaboration with our partners as this progresses.”

More than 80 professionals across the UK will execute the weapons integration tasks for the F-35 fleets of the UK and Italy, with the F-35 programme supporting over 20,000 jobs in the UK overall throughout the development, production, integration, and maintenance of the global initiative.