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technology, will allow the remotely-operated munition to overcome
active protection systems (APS) on main battle tanks (MBT) and
armoured vehicles. It will be cost effective to use, as it will also be
able to carry out intelligence missions during which its optronic
sensor can detect a vehicle 15 km away by day and 3 km away by
night. The remotely-operated munition will be able to operate in
a contested environment (jamming) and can also be reused when
it has not attacked a target. Nexter’s decision to opt for a vertical
take-off and landing (VTOL) system and a high-performance solu-
tion for arming and disarming the warhead, will allow operators
to recover the munition easily and safely. The development of a
demonstrator within 18 months is previously unprecedented in the
French defence industry.

UK Bets on MBDA SPEAR3
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is accelerating the development
of the SPEAR3 (known outside UK as SPEAR), which is a first-of-class
network enabled miniature cruise missile. The SPEAR3 is considered
as one of the most technically advanced weapons of its type. The
UK MoD awarded MBDA a contract worth GBP 550 million for pro-
duction of the SPEAR missile system in July 2021. The SPEAR3 will be the operator’s air-to-ground capability with
able to travel long distances at high-subsonic speed and is slated a low collateral damage, and providing high
to become the primary air-to-ground weapon for RAF F-35Bs over aircraft survivability. MBDA is also developing
the next decade. The turbojet powered SPEAR3 will have a range in the SPEAR-EW, which will be offered as a solu-
excess of 140 km. As the main medium-to-long-range strike weapon tion to a wide range of Suppression of Enemy
for UK F-35s, the new weapon will allow the aircraft to defeat chal- Air Defence (SEAD) missions. Integrating the
lenging targets such as mobile long-range air defence systems at proven SPEAR airframe with a miniaturised
over-the-horizon ranges in all weathers and in highly contested Electronic Warfare (EW) payload, provides both
environments. stand-in jammer and decoy capabilities, greatly
increasing platform survivability and acting as
SPEAR is the solution for a strike weapon that can operate in all a significant force multiplier in a complex anti
conditions, against severe countermeasures and attack moving access/area denial (A2AD) threat environments.
and manoeuvring targets. Its beyond-the-horizon reach ensures its
launching fighter jet remains safely away from hostile air defence The UK’s Defence Science Technology Laboratory
units. Its precision effects warhead allows for a reduction in the (Dstl) is also working on innovative new missile
number of different weapons within a load-out while extending systems under its Co-operative Strike Weapons
Technology Demonstrator (CSWTD) programme.
In July 2021, Dstl was awarded GBP3.5 million for
the CSWTD programme. This Dstl-led project
is exploring inter-missile communication and
how they can enable the weapons systems to
work together, while also improving the per-
formance of current systems. Presently, missiles
can communicate with the launch platform but
not each other.

The work being done will eventually change the
way missiles operate together with upgrades
to their software systems allowing this co-op-
erative behaviour. This will allow missiles to
have greater flexibility, allowing them to react
more appropriately for changing threats. Work
began on the programme in April 2021 and was
slated for completion in 2023. If successful, UK
platforms could be exploiting the benefits of a
smarter integrated network of missiles within
five years..
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY JUNE-JULY 2023 | 7