MBDA’s Spear family of cruise missiles will be equipped with an in-air collaboration capability for better air defense evasion and strike efficiency.
The Spear is the first cruise missile to feature the Orchestrike collaborative weapons artificial intelligence capability, collaborating with other missiles and ground-based operators.
Its development was announced last year at the Paris Air Show.
Over 12 months, the Orchestrike’s development has moved from concept to capability, featuring connectivity, software architecture, algorithms, and artificial intelligence.
“Since it was unveiled at the Paris Air Show 2023, MBDA has rapidly developed Orchestrike from concept towards capability in twelve months,” MBDA explained.
“In particular, work has focused on refining the AI algorithms, advancing missile-to-missile datalinks, and on integrating both elements together and into SPEAR to enhance the already world-leading capabilities of the cruise missile weapon system.”
Collaborative AI Weapons
A collaborative weapons raid includes sharing of battlespace information with each other and the operator.
A coordinated strike enhances the survivability of both the missile and platform as well as overall mission success.
Moreover, the capability is designed to work within the parameters of human input, ensuring legal and ethical boundaries.
“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,” MBDA CEO Eric Beranger said.
Spear Missile
The Spear family of network-enabled air-to-ground weapons is designed to suppress air defenses by striking moving and fleeing targets.
It features advanced mission planning and a stand-off range of 140 kilometers (89 miles).
Moreover, the small size allows an aircraft like the F-35 to pack eight of them in its weapons bay.