The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Spearfish Upgrade Programme is advancing as planned, with the upgraded Spearfish Mod 1 torpedo successfully integrated with Royal Navy submarine combat systems and demonstrated through live in-water trials, according to a written response published on 30 April 2025.
Responding to a question from James Cartlidge MP (Conservative – South Suffolk), Defence Minister Maria Eagle stated: “The Ministry of Defence has made significant progress in implementing the Spearfish Upgrade Programme, focusing on enhancing the capabilities of the Spearfish torpedo system to meet evolving defence requirements.”
Eagle confirmed that the upgraded weapon system—designated Spearfish Mod 1—has now undergone successful in-water firings, validating its integration with the submarine’s combat systems.
The Spearfish Mod 1 programme, led by BAE Systems, delivers improved safety, reliability, and digital performance over the legacy variant. Key enhancements include a new fibre-optic guidance link, modernised electronics, and compatibility with the Royal Navy’s latest submarine systems. The upgrade ensures the torpedo remains capable of defeating complex undersea threats well into the future.
On 15 December 2014, the Ministry of Defence awarded BAE Systems a £270 million contract to upgrade the Spearfish torpedo. The upgrade included a new insensitive-munition warhead from TDW, a redesigned fuel system to improve safety, full digitisation of the weapon, and a new fibre optic guidance link to enhance performance.
In February 2021, HMS Talent test fired three upgraded ‘MOD 1’ specification Spearfish torpedoes as part of their final testing before being accepted into service with the Royal Navy. Vanguard-class trials were completed in 2024.
A large number of articles on this site are based on responses to questions posed by MPs. Why doesn’t the MOD (and also all government departments) issue regular updates on all non-classified information so that questions like this from MPs aren’t necessary. Or, if they already do so, why do MPs waste time asking questions the answers to which are already public?
CW if said or written statement in the house it is recorded in hansard and MP’s are held accountable