MBDA leads AI innovation in spear cruise missiles

European Corporation MBDA is accelerating the implementation of artificial intelligence into SPEAR cruise missiles. AI is expected to ensure the coordination of multiple missiles in flight while maintaining human control over their behaviour.

MBDA boasted that in the last 12 months, engineers had achieved significant success in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with the Orchestre weapon system. As a result, the SPEAR missile family will be the first family of cruise missiles to use AI to collaborate with multiple missiles in flight.

Eric Beranger, CEO of MBDA, said, "Being at the forefront of innovation in AI highlights how MBDA has unique technologies and expertise in Europe for delivering the decisive air domain missile capabilities to enable our armed forces to defend our values and freedoms."

The Orchestrike system concept was first shown at the Paris Air Show in 2023, and engineers have brought the solution to full functionality in a very short period. The vision was to drastically increase the efficiency of SPEAR missiles through mutual coordination and cooperation with the pilot of the carrier aircraft using artificial intelligence.

Orchestrike allows missiles to respond to threats and cooperate with the pilot in carrying out tactical tasks. This increases the chances of survival for both the missile and the aircraft, thereby enhancing mission effectiveness. The missiles' actions are always restricted by operator guidelines, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.

During the Farnborough International Airshow, MBDA presented a digital twin simulator of Orchestrike, equipped with real artificial intelligence for the missile and hardware, including new data links with radio network support. This will allow future military users to conduct simulated raids, where the missiles react in real-time and together to changes in the tactical situation thanks to AI capabilities.

The SPEAR cruise missiles are being developed as a compact solution designed to handle a very wide range of tasks, from destroying moving targets in all weather conditions to neutralizing enemy air defences. This family of missiles has been designed to operate on a network-centric battlefield and structurally draws heavily from the Brimstone-3 missiles.

Like them, these compact missiles are under 2 meters in length. They can be carried in triple launchers occupying one pylon, giving the aircraft immense firepower. For example, the Eurofighter Typhoon can carry up to 12 such missiles. Meanwhile, up to eight of these missiles can fit into the limited-capacity internal weapon bays of the F-35.

Another similar feature to the Brimstone-3 could be the multi-range guidance head based on a combination of GPS and INS navigation and a guidance head using a laser beam and onboard radar. This combination ensures a combat accuracy of up to 98.7% in all conditions and for any target. Most likely, SPEAR also has, like the Brimstone-3, the ability to operate in "fire and forget" mode, in which the missile independently searches for targets based on their signature.

On the other hand, SPEAR differs from Brimstone in having twice the mass, approximately 100 kilograms, deployable wings, and using a turbojet engine, which translates into a greater range. This range is not known, but information about combating targets at a distance of over 140 kilometres appeared in one of the presentations on the future capabilities of the Eurofighter.

SPEAR will feature a multifunctional warhead, but this is not the end. A SPEAR-EW version is also being developed, which, like the ADM‑160B MALD, will have an electronic warfare module serving as a decoy or to jam enemy radars. As a result, a family of unique weaponry is emerging, significantly enhancing the capabilities of integrated machines.