MBDA launches SPEAR Glide: low-cost glide bomb expected to expand RAF arsenal

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MBDA launches SPEAR Glide: low-cost glide bomb to expand RAF arsenal
MBDA launches SPEAR Glide: low-cost glide bomb to expand RAF arsenal (X @MBDAGroup)

MBDA presented at DSEI the new SPEAR Glide variant, an unpowered version of the notorious SPEAR package that uses the fuselages of the SPEAR-3 and SPEAR-EW. Instead of a turbojet, the weapon relies on the speed and altitude of the launching aircraft to be positioned and then glide toward the target.

Designed to fit the same launchers as the other variants, the SPEAR Glide allows faster integration and lower incorporation costs: Typhoons with external launchers can carry three units per launcher, and F-35s can transport up to four in each bomb bay.

The equipment offers specific operational and logistical advantages: the absence of an engine allows for a larger warhead capable of striking more hardened targets, and its declared range approaches the typical 80 km of other glide bombs. Guidance will be multimodal, combining electro-optical/IR imaging and semi-active laser, and will feature image-based navigation and artificial intelligence elements to operate even when GPS is denied by electronic warfare.

MBDA expects the SPEAR Glide to complement the SPEAR-3 (longer range and smaller warhead) and the SPEAR-EW (electronic warfare capability), forming a set that enables the neutralization of point defenses and the subsequent deployment of large volumes of cheaper weapons against hardened targets.

The proposal comes in a context where glide weapons have stood out and caused damage in the conflict in Ukraine, where Russian versions with UMPK kits have demonstrated low-cost effectiveness. The United Kingdom, which currently has a relatively limited stock of precision weapons, is seeking cost-effective options to expand its sustainable firepower in prolonged conflicts. The SPEAR Glide emerges as a response to this need, promising to quickly increase the number of available munitions without requiring major changes to existing platforms.

Source: The Aviationist | Photo: X @MBDAGroup | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team

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