L’M.B.D.A. “Spear 3” (Select Precision Effects At Range) è un missile aria-terra britannico con funzionalità anti-nave.
Progetto
A MBDA-UK è stato assegnato un contratto per la fase di valutazione per il missile SPEAR 3, un'arma d’attacco a distanza con funzionalità “cruise”. Il raggio di azione della nuova arma sarà di almeno 100 km, sebbene le cifre attuali per lo SPEAR indichino un raggio di oltre 130 km (80 + nm). L'arma è strettamente imparentata con il missile d’attacco di precisione Brimstone che viene utilizzato per gli ingaggi a breve distanza. L'arma volerà ad alta velocità subsonica usando un turbogetto e un kit-ala; presenterà una testa-cercante multimodale con guida INS / GPS e con un collegamento dati. La fase di valutazione si è conclusa con prove di volo nel 2014 sull’Eurofighter Typhoon. Il missile è progettato per utilizzare lo stesso turbojet Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 del missile "JSOW-ER". MBDA ha di recente divulgato un lanciarazzi armato con tre missili su una singola stazione d'arma del Typhoon; un totale di quattro si adatteranno con un missile aria-aria Meteor in ciascuna baia di armi interna dell'F-35B. Nel maggio 2016, il MOD ha aggiudicato un contratto da £ 411 milioni a MBDA per lo sviluppo del missile SPEAR 3 lanciabile in volo e che sarà integrato con il pacchetto software dell’F-35 Block 4 ed è previsto che venga utilizzato anche dall’Eurofighter Typhoon.
Prove
Nel marzo 2016 è stato lanciato un missile di prova SPEAR da un velivolo di prova Eurofighter Typhoon gestito da BAE Systems sul QinetiQ Aberporth in Galles. Il missile, dopo la separazione dall'aereo è passato al volo autonomo con il motore turbojet prima di completare una serie di manovre, terminando con l’attacco terminale fino al punto di impatto desiderato. Il missile ha seguito accuratamente la traiettoria pianificata ed è stato ben all'interno delle previsioni di simulazione; tutti gli obiettivi della sperimentazione sono stati raggiunti.
SPEAR EW
MBDA propone anche una versione SPEAR Electronic Warfare (SPEAR EW), una versione di attacco SEAD per la RAF. È in fase di sviluppo lo sciame in rete per missili SPEAR.
MBDA LAVORA SU NUOVA ARMA ELETTRONICA SPEAR-EW WARFARE
Le dimensioni compatte della famiglia SPEAR consentono di trasportare internamente quattro armi in ciascuna delle due postazioni interne dell'F-35, o tre per stazione sull'Eurofighter Typhoon. MBDA si è aggiudicata un contratto per la dimostrazione di SPEAR-EW, una nuova versione di guerra elettronica della famiglia di sistemi d'arma SPEAR su ordine della Royal Air Force (RAF). Lo SPEAR-EW è stato sviluppato da MBDA in collaborazione con Leonardo per completare un'ampia gamma di missioni di Soppressione della Difesa Aerea Nemica (SEAD), nell'ambito di un contratto per il Programma di Dimostrazione Tecnica (TDP) assegnato da Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S).
Il missile SPEAR-EW integrerà un carico utile EW miniaturizzato all'avanguardia di Leonardo, che fungerà da stand-in jammer per aumentare notevolmente la capacità di sopravvivenza dei velivoli RAF e per sopprimere le difese aeree nemiche, agendo come un significativo moltiplicatore di forza.
Il Ministro della Difesa Anne-Marie Trevelyan ha detto: "Questi disturbatori elettronici all'avanguardia confonderanno i nostri avversari e manterranno i nostri piloti più sicuri che mai in volo. In combinazione con la potenza devastante dei missili di precisione Brimstone e Meteor, i nostri jet F-35 e Typhoon continueranno a dominare i cieli anche negli anni a venire". Mike Mew, Direttore vendite e sviluppo commerciale di MBDA UK, ha dichiarato: "SPEAR-EW utilizza una nuova rivoluzionaria capacità che, accanto all'esistente arma SPEAR3, segna un cambiamento fondamentale nella capacità delle forze aeree amiche di condurre le loro missioni nonostante la presenza di difese aeree nemiche. La nostra visione per lo SPEAR è quella di creare uno sciame di armi in rete in grado di saturare e neutralizzare le più sofisticate difese aeree. L'aggiunta di SPEAR-EW alla famiglia, insieme al nostro missile d'attacco SPEAR già esistente, dimostra il principio dell'introduzione di varianti complementari alla famiglia SPEAR che aggiungeranno una significativa capacità e moltiplicazione della forza senza la necessità di ripetere l'integrazione della piattaforma. Abbiamo un'entusiasmante tabella di marcia di varianti e inserimenti tecnologici nella pipeline per migliorare ulteriormente la famiglia man mano che andiamo avanti". Il cuore del carico utile dello SPEAR-EW è la tecnologia avanzata e miniaturizzata della memoria digitale a radiofrequenza (DRFM) di Leonardo, che offre il più avanzato e a prova di futuro jamming e inganno elettronico oggi disponibile sul mercato. Il nuovo SPEAR-EW completerà il missile da crociera miniaturizzato abilitato alla rete SPEAR, che è progettato per ingaggiare con precisione obiettivi a lungo raggio, mobili, fugaci e riposizionabili in qualsiasi condizione atmosferica, di giorno o di notte, in presenza di contromisure, oscuramenti e camuffamenti, garantendo al contempo un sicuro stand-off range tra il velivolo e le difese aeree nemiche.
Alimentato da un motore a turboreattore, il missile SPEAR offre un raggio d'azione più che doppio e un inviluppo operativo molto più flessibile rispetto a un'arma planante convenzionale.
Lo SPEAR-EW sfrutta questa lunga resistenza grazie alla sua capacità di essere lanciato a distanze di stand-off potenziate e di volteggiare in attesa durante lo svolgimento della sua missione di disturbo.
Le dimensioni compatte della famiglia SPEAR consentono di trasportare internamente quattro armi in ciascuna delle due postazioni interne dell'F-35, o tre per stazione sull'Eurofighter Typhoon. Lo SPEAR-EW manterrà la stessa forma e forma della linea di base SPEAR per consentire un unico percorso di integrazione e una soluzione di lancio.
La famiglia SPEAR completa il più ampio portafoglio di armi d'assalto di MBDA, colmando il divario tra il missile d’attacco in profondità Storm Shadow a grande e lunghissima gittata ed il missile di supporto Brimstone ad alta precisione.
Il sistema di armi SPEAR ha anche recentemente completato una serie di prove a terra e controlli di tenuta di un lanciatore triplo per SPEAR su un caccia Eurofighter Typhoon. Il lavoro è stato intrapreso da un team di ingegneri congiunti di MBDA, BAE Systems e del Ministero della Difesa, e si è svolto presso il sito di test di volo della BAE Systems a Warton, Lancashire.
ENGLISH
The Select Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) Capability 3 is a future British air-to-ground and possibly anti-ship missile.
Background
MBDA was awarded an Assessment Phase contract for SPEAR 3, a standoff attack weapon. This is specified to have a range of at least 100 km, although current figures for SPEAR indicate a range over 130 km (80+nm). The weapon will make substantial reuse of technologies from the Brimstone precision strike missile that is used for engagements at shorter ranges. The 2 m (6.6 ft) weapon will fly at high-subsonic speed using a turbojet and wing kit, and will feature a multimode seeker with INS/GPS guidance and datalink. The assessment phase concluded with flight trials in 2014 on the Eurofighter Typhoon. The missile is set to use the same Hamilton Sundstrand TJ-150 turbojet as the JSOW-ER. MBDA has shown artwork of a three-missile launcher on a single Typhoon weapon station, and four will fit with a Meteor air-to-air missile in each internal weapons bay of the F-35B. In May 2016, the MOD awarded a £411 million contract to MBDA for the development of the air-launched SPEAR 3 missile. SPEAR 3 will be integrated with the F-35 Block 4 software package and is also planned to be used on the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Trials
In March 2016, a SPEAR trials missile was launched from a Eurofighter Typhoon trials aircraft operated by BAE Systems at the QinetiQ Aberporth range in Wales. The missile transitioned through separation from the aircraft to powered flight before completing a series of manoeuvres, ending in a terminal dive to the desired point of impact. The missile accurately followed the planned trajectory and was well within simulation predictions; all trial objectives were achieved.
SPEAR EW
MBDA is also proposing a SPEAR Electronic Warfare version (SPEAR EW), a SEAD attack version for the RAF. Networked swarm capability for SPEAR missiles is in development.
MBDA WORKING ON NEW SPEAR-EW ELECTRONIC WARFARE WEAPON
The compact size of the SPEAR family allows four weapons to be carried internally in each of the two internal weapons bay of the F-35, or three per station on the Eurofighter Typhoon.
MBDA has been awarded a contract to demonstrate SPEAR-EW, a new electronic warfare version of the SPEAR weapon system family on order for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
SPEAR-EW is being developed by MBDA in partnership with Leonardo to complete a wide range of Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions, under a Technical Demonstration Programme (TDP) contract awarded by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S). SPEAR-EW will integrate a cutting-edge miniaturised EW payload from Leonardo, which will act as a stand-in jammer to greatly increase the survivability of RAF aircraft and suppress enemy air defences, acting as a significant force multiplier.
Defence Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “These state-of-the-art electronic jammers will confuse our adversaries and keep our pilots safer than ever in the air. Paired with the devastating power of precision Brimstone and Meteor missiles, our world-class F-35 and Typhoon jets will continue to rule the skies in the years to come.”
Mike Mew, MBDA UK Director of Sales and Business Development, said: “SPEAR-EW is a revolutionary new capability that, alongside the existing SPEAR3 weapon, marks a fundamental change in the ability of friendly air forces to conduct their missions despite the presence of enemy air defences. Our vision for SPEAR is to create a swarm of networked weapons able to saturate and neutralise the most sophisticated air defences. Adding SPEAR-EW to the family alongside our existing SPEAR strike missile demonstrates the principle of introducing complementary variants to the SPEAR family that will add significant capability and force multiplication without the need to repeat the platform integration. We have an exciting roadmap of variants, spirals and technology insertions in the pipeline to further enhance the family as we move forward.”
The core of SPEAR-EW’s payload is Leonardo’s advanced, miniaturised Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) technology, which offers the most advanced and future-proof electronic jamming and deception available on the market today.
The new SPEAR-EW will complement the SPEAR network enabled miniature cruise missile, which is designed to precisely engage long range, mobile, fleeting and re-locatable targets in all weathers, day or night, in the presence of countermeasures, obscurants and camouflage, while ensuring a safe stand-off range between the aircraft and enemy air defences. Powered by a turbojet engine the SPEAR missile offers over double the range, and a far more flexible operating envelope, when compared to a conventional glide weapon. SPEAR-EW utilises this long endurance through its capacity to be launched at enhanced stand-off ranges and loiter while carrying out its jamming mission.
The compact size of the SPEAR family allows four weapons to be carried internally in each of the two internal weapons bay of the F-35, or three per station on the Eurofighter Typhoon. SPEAR-EW will keep the same form and fit as the baseline SPEAR to enable a single integration pathway and launcher solution.
SPEAR family complements MBDA’s wider portfolio of strike weapons, filling the gap between the large and very-long range Storm Shadow deep strike missile and the highly accurate Brimstone close-air-support missile.
The SPEAR weapons system also recently completed a set of ground trials and fit-checks of a loaded three-pack SPEAR launcher onto a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft. The work was undertaken by a joint engineering team from MBDA, BAE Systems, and the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), and took place at BAE Systems’ flight test site in Warton, Lancashire.
Spear Capability 3
Selective Precision Effects at Range (SPEAR) Capability 3 is the name given to a Category A project (>£400m) to deliver a weapon.
A new 100 kg class weapon being developed to be the primary air to ground armament for the Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) from 2021; and optimised for internal carriage. SPEAR Cap 3 will provide the capability to destroy/defeat a wide range of targets at range, including mobile and relocatable targets, in all weathers, day and night, in all environments under tight rules of engagement. Clearly, it is designed to work with the UK’s future F-35B fleet for attacks against integrated air defences using its increased stand-off distance to enhance the launch aircraft survivability. In other air interdiction missions against lesser capability air defences, it will be used to destroy the full gamut of likely targets on the ground and with some secondary capability against smaller targets at sea or in the littoral.
SPEAR Capability 3 History
There has been a number of ‘feed in’ research programmes including the Sensor to Effect Phase 2 and Time Sensitive Target Test Bed that have developed the control and communication systems between the weapon and other platforms but the requirement emerged towards the end of 2009, although initial work had been completed at the turn of the century.
Increasing capabilities and proliferation of capable air-defence systems and ever more complex rules of engagement environments combined to produce to key drivers; the ability to be retargeted in flight and have the ability to stand off at a sufficient distance to enable integrated air defence systems to be attacked.
Later, this evolved to also include a specific launch platform, the F-35 Lightning II, 4 per bay.
MBDA launched their concept for SPEAR Capability 3, called SPEAR, at Farnborough in 2012, describing it as both a step change and a mini cruise missile. This initial concept has since evolved, the location of control surfaces and body shape for example.
The SPEAR Capability 3 Assessment Phase also included Capability 2 block 2 and Sea Ceptor so when the National Audit Office report, the individual component costs are not clear.
The real issue with SPEAR Capability 3 at the time was that the MBDA version was not the only game in town. Raytheon has their Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) Increment II or GBU-53. There is no doubt SDB-II has less capability, it is a glide only weapon and thus has a lower time to target (which enables the launch aircraft to ‘get the f**k out of dodge’ sooner) and longer range (greater stand-off distance).
The SDB-II has a tri-mode seeker (SAL, IR and MMW) and a larger warhead than SPEAR Cap 3. This was the dilemma for the MoD, buy off the shelf or develop the MBDA system.
Raytheon went on the public relations offensive and hinted that a UK SDB-II could be made at their UK manufacturing facility.
The F-35B is not scheduled to carry the SDB-II until 2022 as part of Block 4a software and recent news indicates some minor modifications (hydraulic line and bracket) to the bomb way will be required in order to allow the carriage of 4 per bay, these are planned to be incorporated into the production aircraft from 2019 onwards. Whether these plans come to fruition within the proposed timescale is open for discussion.
SPEAR Capability 3 has been reportedly proposed for Block 4 software on the F-35 programme.
Initial flight development work was carried out on the Typhoon.
In March 2016, it was reported that the MoD were going to extend the MBDA Assessment Phase work, thus effectively making its choice.
Main Gate decision on Demonstration and Manufacture phase was not planned until 2018 but several media outlets had reported in early May that MBDA were about to be awarded a £411 Million contract to develop SPEAR Cap 3.
On the 18th of May 2016, the MoD announced the next stage of development for SPEAR Capability 3.
The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £411 million contract to develop a new missile for the UK’s future F-35B supersonic stealth aircraft.
The contract secures around 350 highly skilled missile engineering jobs across MBDA’s sites in Stevenage, Bristol and Lostock, with an equivalent number of jobs in the wider supply chain, and will draw on engineering and manufacturing expertise from companies across the UK. Spear 3 is from the same family of weapons as Brimstone, currently being used by the RAF to combat Daesh in Syria and Iraq, but it packs a bigger punch and has a significantly increased range.
The contract, with MBDA, will enable four years of critical design and development work which will tailor the weapon for use within the internal weapons bay of F-35B, the world’s most advanced combat aircraft. It is being designed specifically for F-35B Lightning II operations launched from HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy’s two £3 billion aircraft carriers.
The £411 million contract award follows an initial £150 million assessment phase and, if successful, it is expected that Spear 3 will enter service in the mid-2020s
It was later announced that the first test firing had taken place in March 2016.
No news on Typhoon integration but several outlets have reported it is an aspiration and will hopefully use the new three round common launcher for a total of twelve carried munitions.
So although SPEAR Cap 3 has been test fired from Typhoon, integration would require more detailed and demanding activity.
Spear Capability 3 Capabilities
Perhaps the best way to describe SPEAR Cap 3 is either a longer range Brimstone or jet powered SDB-II.
The conceptual requirement emerged some time ago but was been given particular impetus by the proliferation of advanced Russian and Chinese air defence systems, especially the SA-21 and related systems.
Its key features include:
- Internal turbojet with flush intakes and folding wings;
- F-35B internal or external carriage with 4 per bay when carried internally;
- External carriage on the Typhoon (although this does not seem to be in the current plan);
- 140km plus range;
- Two-way datalink for re-tasking during flight;
- GPS/INS, Millimetric Radar and Semi-Active Laser (SAL) terminal guidance (final options to be confirmed);
- Multi fuzing and tuneable warhead;
- MIL-STD 1760 and UAI interface compliance for F-35 and Typhoon integration.
The turbojet propulsion is used to provide extended range, headwind resistance, survivability against air defence weapons and additional flexibility. It also provides a much shorter time to target than a glide weapon which improves survivability of the aircraft. With GPS and multi-mode guidance, together with the two data link, MBDA is going for absolutely maximum flexibility.
The turbojet used in the designs so far has been a version of the Whitney AeroPower (Hamilton Sundstrand) TJ-150 turbojet that is also used on the MALD and MALD-J systems.
MBDA have used parts of the ASRAAM airframe as a basis for SPEAR which has some echoes of the BAE Typhoon missile (not aircraft) proposed for the requirement what would eventually be fulfilled by Brimstone!
The modular approach taken by Brimstone 2 and ASRAAM will be used on SPEAR, MBDA has claimed this would allow SPEAR to be modified to include a booster motor that would allow it to be used in the land attack and counter Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) role. MBDA released a graphic a few years showing a concept for a Common Anti-Surface Modular Missile (CAsMM) that used the same launch cell as the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM).
(WEB, GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA, THINKDEFENCE, YOU TUBE)
