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Thanks Ronny. So why don't we design our own GBU-53 equivalent weapon using the SPEAR 3 as a starting point by removing the missiles engine and keeping the fins and the guidance kit? It would not be that difficult?
MBDA have already proposed some additional Spear variants:
Spear-EW - Spear without a warhead, additional fuel and Britecloud derived EW package to act as a decoy/stand in jammer
SpearGlide - Spear without the engine, but warhead at least twice the size....basically a UK SDBII
There is also the MRUSW requirement...which is essentially SpearGlide without the MMW seeker. GPS/INS and perhaps SAL only. Essentially a UK SDB1.
The idea is you integrate Spear to a platform and the rest can be easily integrated (albeit Spear-EW will require integration to EW system) as they all share the same mold line, CoG, weight etc. Essentially a full package of weapons types from EW decoy/jammer, mini-cruise missile, gliding complex munition and gliding simple munition.
As for SmartGlider I wouldn't anticipate it being particularly cheap, and a lot less effective than SDBII, Spear or SpearGlide. Basically the entire premise is daft...it's France own 'Not invented here' syndrome at play...