SPEAR - Selectable Precision Effects At Range

timmymagic said:
submunitions in particular are no longer a thing for the UK...(and it doesn't really have the volume to make it worthwhile).
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How many smart AT submunitions like SMaRT or BONUS could you fit in one using basic GPS/INS for initial guidance? The diameter is close enough that you could use off-the-shelf submunitions and not have to reinvent the wheel.

Probably again this would overlap too much with the Brimstone use case, but it's the one submunition application that could make a little sense.
 
TomS said:
How many smart AT submunitions like SMaRT or BONUS could you fit in one using basic GPS/INS for initial guidance? The diameter is close enough that you could use off-the-shelf submunitions and not have to reinvent the wheel.

Probably again this would overlap too much with the Brimstone use case, but it's the one submunition application that could make a little sense.
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Good question but i would guess that around 3 maybe 4 could fit.
 
DWG said:
Plus Sea Spear (quad-packed in a Mk 41 or EXLs VLS cell as a counter-FIAC-swarm capability, though that seems to have been a Brimstone variant rather than Spear, with MBDA actually referring to it as Brimstone Sea Spear in some of their stuff seemingly aimed at the Poles.
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Sea Spear is a slightly re-programmed Brimstone 1 effectively, no real relationship with Spear (apart from the MMW from later Brimstone vaiants being in the Spear guidance package). It's never been Vertical Launched to my knowledge, just launched from the normal MBDA trials frame off a suspended 3 round Tornado launcher (the same set up that has been given to the Ukrainian's in truck mounted form). Sea Spear was likely to receive its first customer as Ukraine pre-war on the Patrol Vessels that were to be built by Babcock in Rosyth. No idea if that project will ever go ahead now.

There were 1 or 2 CGI images an age ago of a VL-Spear exiting a quadpacked canister in either Mk.41 or ExLS onboard a ship but that was it. No other imagery of the booster attached for example. If that were still to happen it would now be using the LPS missile.
 
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Rather interesting article....explains some of the reasons for delays on F-35....not sure I agree with the mid-2030's part, suspect that is a deal breaker for the UK on the 'Tranche 2' buy of 27 F-35B. Also seems unaware of other developments on the Spear front in relation to Typhoon (Spain's recent order of Spear ground equipment for example..).

https://twitter.com/x/status/1858606512316494145
View: https://x.com/JonA2i/status/1858606512316494145


aerospaceglobalnews.com

Typhoon undertakes live firing test of MBDA’s Spear next generation miniature cruise missile - AGN

On 17 November 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support and Luke Pollard MP announced that a first guided firing of the Spear (previously known as SPEAR 3, or SPEAR Capability 3) missile had taken place on 17 October.
aerospaceglobalnews.com aerospaceglobalnews.com
 
zjz said:
According to the factsheet, TJ150-1 is used in the MALD, while SPEAR3 uses TJ150-3 .... would like to have some ideas on the differences, but no information is available in public domain ....
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Suspect its mainly around repackaging the engine to fit better in Spear.
 
NMaude said:
So same performance different external form-factors?
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Sounds like it.

Like how the CFM56 engines have their accessory drives in two places, depending on whether the engine is destined for a 737 or an Airbus. The Airbus versions have their accessory drives on the bottom of the engine, where it's easily accessible. The 737 versions have their accessory drives moved to the sides of the engine, for ground clearance.
 
NMaude said:
So same performance different external form-factors?
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That would make sense....

But the one thing about TJ-150-3 that has never made sense to me is ITAR....the UK has an unstated policy of all air weapons being ITAR free due to US f**kwittery around Asraam and PWIV sales in the past. Every other air weapon we make is stated as ITAR free now (FCASW, Sea Venom, Asraam Blk VI, Meteor, Brimstone 3 etc etc). But for Spear we've managed to jam a US made engine in it....in a weapon where the US has a competing product so has an incentive to exercise its usual nonsense...

Hopefully at some point we'll see a PBS or RR/Safran engine replace the TJ-150-3...its not as if the UK hasn't had a huge history in small turbine engines...
 
timmymagic said:
That would make sense....

But the one thing about TJ-150-3 that has never made sense to me is ITAR....the UK has an unstated policy of all air weapons being ITAR free due to US f**kwittery around Asraam and PWIV sales in the past. Every other air weapon we make is stated as ITAR free now (FCASW, Sea Venom, Asraam Blk VI, Meteor, Brimstone 3 etc etc). But for Spear we've managed to jam a US made engine in it....in a weapon where the US has a competing product so has an incentive to exercise its usual nonsense...
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What does the US have that is a powered 100kg weapon? Stormbreaker/SDB2 is a glide bomb, not a powered missile.
 
Scott Kenny said:
What does the US have that is a powered 100kg weapon? Stormbreaker/SDB2 is a glide bomb, not a powered missile.
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SDB2 is the competing product. Might have shorter range but its a similar concept in terms of its target set.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Doesn't SPEAR 3 have like twice the range of Stormbreaker?
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Yes, but target set and guidance are more or less equivalent, along with form factor. It’s easily the closest thing in US inventory. Probably anyone’s inventory. Not a lot of trimode weapons in the 250 lbs class out there.
 
Josh_TN said:
Yes, but target set and guidance are more or less equivalent, along with form factor. It’s easily the closest thing in US inventory. Probably anyone’s inventory. Not a lot of trimode weapons in the 250 lbs class out there.
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I can foresee a lot of countries writing their specs so that Stormbreakers don't have enough range.

And frankly, I could see the US doing some horse-trading to have a few SPEAR-3s in inventory just to have that longer range.
 

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