MBDA (UK)

[Timmymagic]

My mistake its the Supersonic Cruise concept on the starboard side..

[Timmymagic]

And the full set...
Meteor
Spear (out of shot)
And Spear-EW, which is the first time we've seen it 'in the flesh'.
And....it appears Spear-EW has an MoD demonstration programme, which is fantastic news.

[Timmymagic]

https://newsroom.mbda-systems.com/mbda- ... pest-work/

An absolute legend has got pics of the spec boards for the new MBDA missile concepts. The Micro-missile comes in hard kill defensive and ground attack variants. The new WVRAAM concept is designed for volume carriage in internal bays and is dropped launched, not rail launched. Could be used on F-35 internally...

[Jdam]

What is the job of the EW derivative for Spear 3?

[ArmChairCivvy]

Errr,
What else have "they" got?
"And Spear-EW, which is the first time we've seen it 'in the flesh'.
And....it appears Spear-EW has got the MoD interested, which is fantastic news."

[Timmymagic]

What is the job of the EW derivative for Spear 3?

Not a huge lot known at present. But essentially it will be like the MALD-J only slightly smaller. Once launched it will fly a pre-programmed flight path and jam enemy emissions or more likely simulate an aircraft so that enemy air defences track it and engage it. By doing so they expose themselves for return fire from the F-35.
What we're not sure of is whether or not it carries a warhead and what its range is. The MALD-J,which is only slightly larger, but with a similar engine can allegedly travel over 500 miles. I don't think Spear-EW will be that long legged, but without the warhead it will certainly have a longer range than regular Spear.

Edit - Since found out that the MALD-J has a range of less than 300 miles. It appears that MALD-J and Spear-EW will have approximately the same range as we now know Spear-EW goes out at least 240 miles, and might be up to 360 miles/

[Timmymagic]

Errr,
What else have "they" got?
"And Spear-EW, which is the first time we've seen it 'in the flesh'.
And....it appears Spear-EW has got the MoD interested, which is fantastic news."

MoD have funded a demonstration of Spear EW.
Given the RAF's previous interest in MALD its not a surprise, they've wanted something like this for a while.

[Timmymagic]

Here's a sample of the MBDA proposed line up for the future:



The only missing items (for the UK) are Brimstone 3, SpearGlide, Asraam CSP and the 2 Remote Carriers seen at Le Bourget.
Along with Paveway IV variants we could have all of the necessary capabilities from a UK/European manufacturer. At present we're a little light in the different capabilities that we can deliver from the air. But the building blocks are all coming into place.

For my money the only things we need to add to this line up, to complete the UK air weapons armoury for the future, are:
- A super cheap GPS guided bomb kit like JDAM
- A cheap 'Spear Simple' variant, just GPS and INS and perhaps SAL, based on SpearGlide - A SDB1 equivalent. For when the expensive MMW seeker head is a bit of overkill.
- A Wingkit for Paveway (and the JDAM type weapon) to extend gliding range - MBDA DiamondBack comes to mind.
- A heavier Glide weapon in the 2,000lb class - SmartGlider Heavy could fit the bill, particularly if it could accommodate different payloads within the body like JSOW. To replace Paveway II and EPWIII. This would also give the ability to carry 'novel' payloads.
- The CAMM/Brimstone hybrid that MBDA exhibited for the Land Precision Fires requirement, has so many uses..particularly for F-35 and for SEAD/DEAD
- A guided rocket - CRV7 with APKWS - For Apache, Wildcat and the Gazelle replacement. Suspect we don't want rockets on fast air anymore.
- A cheap and simple 'tiny' munition like the Thales Fury or Diehl Defence Hussar - Principally for UAV's
- Air launched CAMM-ER anyone? Could be a cheap way of reducing reliance on Amraam, particularly for older Typhoon.
- Resurrect Alarm or just rely on Spear derivatives? - If the Spear EW has a warhead it can loiter for longer than Alarm could.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Great piccie - are they all to the same scale (can one infer the relative size)?

By my earlier comment I just meant that there had been that obvious 'gap in the armoury' for far too long.

[Timmymagic]

Great piccie - are they all to the same scale (can one infer the relative size)?

By my earlier comment I just meant that there had been that obvious 'gap in the armoury' for far too long.

I'm afraid not. You'd have to look at the earlier pics on Tempest to gauge the size. The micro missile is really small....

Agreed, the RAF have wanted it that capability for over 10 years (probably more like 20). We really do have everything in place with MBDA to go completely sovereign on air weapons. No need for any non-UK weapons (obviously Paveway IV is US but its made in Scotland exclusively). In fact in guided weapons overall we've only got Trident, Tomahawk, Javelin and Exactor in service that are non-UK/European. And there is a clear pathway to replace 3 of those 4 with MBDA missiles (MMP, Stealthy Cruise and the CAMM/Brimstone hybrid).
The only fly in the ointment appears to be the use of US torpedoes on P-8 or ASROC.

[Lord Jim]

I do find the tandem ASRAAM launcher interesting if that is what it is.

[Phil R]

I do find the tandem ASRAAM launcher interesting if that is what it is.

Not ASRAAM, but some reduced length missile labelled WVRAAM.

Phil R

[Timmymagic]

I do find the tandem ASRAAM launcher interesting if that is what it is.

It's a new concept, but like Phil R states, its not Asraam. The 'increased' calibre bit seems to indicate that there are 2 versions of the new WVRAAM concept. The smaller one can be mounted on the dual rack, the larger possibly can't. The larger one may include a dual RF/IR seeker. The smallest, dual carriage version appears to be about half the size of Asraam and designed for internal carriage. Which means its a drop/ejection launched missile rather than rail launched. The larger one appears to be wider, but a similar length.

[Timmymagic]

Confirmation of the Spear-EW demonstration concept. This is a huge development. Could be an amazing capability to add.

[Timmymagic]

Wow.....forget about ALARM everyone...

[Timmymagic]

MBDA Press Release on Spear EW...with the politicians guff removed...interesting bits in bold..sounds like Leonardo's jammer will be based on the Britecloud and Towed Decoy developments (which makes an awful lot of sense). More developments of Spear to come (presumably the SpearGlide included) and mention of 'enhanced range' which could mean longer ranged than Spear. Which will be particularly useful. MALD-J can reach out to 500 miles on around 20kg higher weight, so the (potential) increase over Spear matters, particularly when it comes to loitering. MBDA have also made it clear that Spear EW is a Decoy AND Jammer.



Press Release

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.

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 closeair-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

[Timmymagic]

In amongst all of the news of MBDA concepts for Tempest I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned that the new WVRAAM and Micro-Missile could have some very interesting implications for sea and land based applications. The Micro-Sam is designed to intercept other missiles.....it could be a rather useful CIWS solution. The WVRAAM could open up a VLS Sea Ceptor Capability to smaller vessels. Both could be used as SAMS on land...with the Micro-Missile being the basis of a new MANPAD...

[SW1]

Simplified integration time for variants is one of the big plus’s with this family not to mention an aircraft being able to carry a lot, the possibilities are endless, and shows what happens when give a long term funding assurance and invest in UK IP in targeted areas.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... -huge-deal

[Timmymagic]

Simplified integration time for variants is one of the big plus’s with this family not to mention an aircraft being able to carry a lot, the possibilities are endless, and shows what happens when give a long term funding assurance and invest in UK IP in targeted areas.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... -huge-deal

The Complex Weapons programme is really bearing fruit. The fact that more Spear developments are expected is really encouraging. Presumably, this is beyond the already shown SpearGlide...I'd hope they go simple initially and have a Spear Simple variant with just GPS/INS and SAL (only if it doesn't add too much to the cost). That would close the gap in MBDA's lineup where they have no SDB1 competitor. It could get UK interest as well, low collateral weapons are increasingly useful but we don't always need to use a dual mode Brimstone or a Spear with their expensive seekers onboard. Something small with a similar or cheaper price than PWIV would be really useful.

[Timmymagic]

Spear-EW range is a bit clearer following the article in this months Eurofighter World Magazine. Range is being talked of as 'three times the range' of standard Spear. Current estimates of Spear range are from 80 miles to 120 miles+. From some basic calculations and comparisons to other systems of a similar size and usage of the same turbojet I think the higher range figure is actually closer to the truth. I think we can safely say Spear-EW has a range of over 350 miles with a flight duration of c35-45 minutes.

https://www.eurofighter.com/multimedia/magazine

[ArmChairCivvy]

Good to see that Centurion was not "the end point" - as it took so long to get 'there' - but there is life (for the tiffies) thereafter. Another MBDA article says:
Whilst next generation missiles previously displayed alongside Tempest – Meteor and the SPEAR family of weapons – will be optimised for use on the future combat air system, by being at the heart of the system design stage is creating a synergistic architecting of effectors and platform, to achieve a significant force multiplication.[the text does not give the other /opposite aspect, which the grammar would point to, but in the summary novel bay designs are singled out. Wasn't this an aspect/ innovation on the German 'Replica', too?]

[Ron5]

Nice magazine, thanks Timmy. I enjoyed the Tempest article in the previous edition although a tad surprised it was there.

[Ron5]

Good to see that Centurion was not "the end point" - as it took so long to get 'there' - but there is life (for the tiffies) thereafter. Another MBDA article says:
Whilst next generation missiles previously displayed alongside Tempest – Meteor and the SPEAR family of weapons – will be optimised for use on the future combat air system, by being at the heart of the system design stage is creating a synergistic architecting of effectors and platform, to achieve a significant force multiplication.[the text does not give the other /opposite aspect, which the grammar would point to, but in the summary novel bay designs are singled out. Wasn't this an aspect/ innovation on the German 'Replica', too?]

I always enjoy a bit of synergistic architecting myself. Especially on a Saturday morning. Bit chilly today tho.

[Timmymagic]

Image of some technologies being developed for the Subsonic Cruise part of FCASW. Apparently this is the version of the 2 that the UK prefers:

[Timmymagic]

MBDA seem to be smashing it at the moment. Japan already as good as in the bag and South Korea as well. Looks like Meteor is a hit. Of particular interest is the semi-conformal carriage on the KFX. No internal bay. Seems if you're near to China your desire for a long range air to air missile is pretty strong...