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3w ago

F-35B Flies With UK SPEAR 3 Missile in First Captive‑Carry Test

Data from the flight will feed mission‑systems integration and jettison trials for SPEAR 3.

F-35B pictured carrying a half-load of four SPEAR 3 missiles during the test flight. (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)
F-35 SPEAR-3

Overview

  • An F-35B test aircraft carried four inert SPEAR 3 missiles during a captive‑carry flight earlier this year at NAS Patuxent River, providing environmental and integration data for the programme.
  • Test teams from the F-35 Joint Program Office, the F-35 Integrated Test Force, the UK MoD, MBDA and Lockheed Martin collaborated on the sortie with Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nick Baker as pilot.
  • SPEAR 3 is a turbojet‑powered miniature cruise missile designed for internal carriage on the F-35B with a reported range of more than 100 km and an internal load of up to eight rounds per jet.
  • The next technical steps are mission‑systems integration and jettison (ejection) trials, but operational use remains years away because Block 4 software delivery and hardware retrofit work must be completed.
  • Because of the delays, the UK has re‑baselined in‑service expectations into the early 2030s and approved interim procurement of the GBU‑53/B SDB II to partially restore longer‑range strike reach while SPEAR 3 is finalised.