MBDA has announced advancements in its Orchestrike collaborative weapons artificial intelligence (AI) over the past year, with plans to integrate this AI into its SPEAR family of cruise missiles.
The new AI capabilities, say the firm at Farnborough Air Show, are designed to enhance coordination between the missiles and the pilot controlling them, aiming to improve overall mission performance.
Eric Beranger, CEO of MBDA, highlighted this development, stating, “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,” as quoted in the company’s announcement.
Orchestrike is claimed to improve the performance of SPEAR missiles through AI-driven coordination and collaboration. According to the company, this will enable the missiles to respond dynamically to threats and work with the pilot, potentially increasing both missile and platform survivability. The company assures that the system will ensure the missiles operate within the boundaries set by human operators, maintaining legal and ethical standards.
MBDA reports that, since its unveiling at the Paris Air Show 2023, the Orchestrike system has rapidly progressed from concept to near-operational capability within twelve months. Key development areas included refining AI algorithms and advancing missile-to-missile datalinks. The company believes this showcases their ability to innovate and bring new capabilities to service quickly.
The Orchestrike system is being demonstrated at the MBDA stand during the Farnborough International Airshow. According to the company, a digital-twin simulator will allow military users to experience a simulated raid where missiles react live and collaboratively to tactical situations, illustrating the AI capabilities.
At first I read that as “Orc Strike” !
Pretty apt…
That’s what I thought as well 😀
What are the larger missiles (2nd from right) in the banner photo? Is that an early design for SPEAR5?
FCASW perhaps
It’s either the new land cruise missile (LCM) or the naval cruise missile (NCM). This missile was released to the public at this year’s Eurosatory in Paris. LCM/LCM are similar to Tomahawk (TLAM), but in a Euro flavour along with new additions.
I like the look of it
How are they going to be launched?
From land, they are launched from a truck mounted cannister launcher.
The one further to the left, above the “g” in “planning”, is also of the different wings-at-the-bottom design.
while my imagination runs wild with the possibilities of swarming behaviours I really hope perfect doesn’t become the enemy of good enough
I read this and for some reason my twisted mind has an animated short with the operator assigning the targets and then the missile AIs are squabbling over which one of them gets the most important target. Kind of like inside out with more explosives.
As I understand it, Spear 3 is already networked according to the promo vids. Selecting juicy targets and distributing them between missiles and even attacking from different angles, unless thats a pre programmed thing. In fact,doesn’t Brimstone do the same thing,,,so that they don’t all go for the front T72 (for instance…)
AA
Yes that’s correct. Spear-3 uses a lot of the coding from Brimstone. Including the targeting algorithm. For Brimstone for example, the missile will recognize that the radar returns are generating the shape of a MBT. Instead of attacking the sides or front it will pop up and dive on top of the tank. It does use a programmable tandem warhead, so technically it could activate a tank’s ERA, then use the second charge to blow through the passive armour. But will generally choose the easier option.
If you’re a Typhoon pilot and have launched 3 Brimstone. They will talk each other in flight over a data-link to the target. Where they work out whether they are each aiming for a separate target or are aiming for the same one. They can “decide” to continue searching for other targets leaving one to hit the target. Or the pilot can over-ride their decision and make them all hit the same target. The missile does have other modes of attack and use, which I won’t go into here. Spear-3 will have the same capability.
MBDA’s Orchestrike takes this to the next level.
Hi Both, Hopefully you will be correct but my brain was in whimsy mode yesterday and just the concept made me laugh. Thanks for the information though.
Spear three with the numbers that will be carries and launched as a swarming AI missile with its own EW is going to be a who new level of difficult to counter…especially in the marine environment….the only issue is that it needs to be introduced faster.
Are there any plans to give SPEAR 3 a land/ship launch capability?
I know that way back MBDA released a render of a SPEAR 3 being launched from a ship VLS tube (only half way out so you couldn’t see if it had an extra booster to make up for the kinetic and potential energy it would otherwise have inherited from an airborne launch platform).
Did the idea of extra launch modes never gain any traction or is something still bubbling along in the background?