What Are SPEAR Missiles? US Ally Carries Out First Successful Launch
The U.K. has successfully tested a new cruise missile, London said on Sunday, as Western militaries push for defense investment and Russia, China and North Korea funnel resources into their weapons development programs.
The "cutting-edge new cruise missile," dubbed SPEAR, was test-fired from a Typhoon fighter jet in Sweden, the British Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The "miniature" missile did not have a live warhead when it "autonomously navigated to the target," the government said. The missile then used a radar seeker, guiding it toward the target, and "radiofrequency imagery to successfully engage it."
"Recent conflicts have demonstrated the need for precision strike weapons that can operate night and day in all weather conditions against severe countermeasures and importantly attack moving and maneuvering targets," according to European defense giant MBDA, which manufactures the SPEAR.
Long-range strike weapons, including those launched from fighter jets flying outside of the grasp of an enemy's air defenses, have stepped into the spotlight in Ukraine.
Kyiv has repeatedly requested weapons with long-range capabilities from its allies, including the U.K., which has furnished Ukraine with an unknown number of its Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles.
Much like with the U.S.-supplied ATACMS ground-launched ballistic missiles, Ukraine is not allowed to use Storm Shadows to target deep inside Russia, and is thought to have received limited stocks of long-range weapons.
China has also built up its military capabilities, described by the Pentagon as the "pacing threat" the U.S. is up against. Russia has debuted new weapons in the more than two and a half years of war in Ukraine, while North Korea has plugged away with its missile testing, thought to be benefiting from expertise from Moscow.
Senior Western military officials have increasingly sounded the alarm over dwindling weapons stockpiles in the face of the possibility of wider war with Russia, North Korea's saber-rattling and China's regional dominance. NATO members like the U.K. have pledged to significantly build up defense spending.
MBDA described the SPEAR as a "next generation" weapon powered by a turbojet engine, keeping the aircraft firing the weapon away from air-defense systems that could target the jet.
The missile, designed to hit both land and sea targets, will be launched from the U.K.'s F-35B fleet, with each jet able to carry eight of the missiles.
The SPEAR has a range of around 100 kilometers, or just over 60 miles, compared to the 155 mile-range of Storm Shadow and roughly 186 miles in the grasp of ATACMS. The new missile is crafted for use against the likes of enemy air defenses, tanks, a variety of vehicles, as well as ships or well-defended structures, the U.K. government said.
"SPEAR is a truly unique weapon system," said Mike Mew, tactical strike director of MBDA. "The first to offer the range, flexibility, precision and load-out to defeat modern enemy air defenses."
"The successful trial of the pioneering SPEAR missile marks a significant leap forward in UK Armed Forces' capabilities, ensuring our Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel are equipped with cutting-edge technology to protect our nation," British Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said in a statement.
