The immediate priority for the UK is to finalise the integration of the SPEAR 3 missile onto the F-35B, and to accelerate the work where possible, Defence Minister Luke Pollard has said.
Answering a written question from Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, who asked what capabilities were included within the scope of the planned spiral upgrades, Pollard said the focus was on completing the integration of SPEAR 3 and seeking to bring forward the warfighting capability as far as the United States-controlled programme allowed.
He said that once the weapon was in service it would be subject to spiral upgrades to keep it effective as the threat evolved, but that the specific upgrades were classified.
“The immediate priority is to finalise the integration of SPEAR 3 to the F35B, seeking to accelerate where the US controlled programme permits to realise the warfighting capability. Once in service, the already highly capable weapon will be subject to Spiral Upgrades to maintain effectiveness as the threat evolves; specific upgrades are classified to maintain the weapons operational advantage.”
SPEAR 3, developed by MBDA, is a precision-guided air-to-surface missile designed to be carried internally by the F-35 in numbers, allowing a single aircraft to engage several targets at stand-off range. The weapon is intended to strike mobile and defended targets such as air defence systems, armour and command sites, and its small size lets the F-35B carry multiple rounds while preserving the aircraft’s low-observable configuration.
In a separate answer last month, Pollard gave a target date for the weapon reaching the front line. “Fielding this critical F-35 warfighting capability is targeted within the joint programme from financial year 2028-29; spiral capability upgrades across the programme life cycle will occur thereafter,” he said. That target is earlier than the early-2030s estimate the Ministry of Defence has previously given for SPEAR 3’s in-service date.
The integration had been due to be completed during the F-35’s Block 3 software phase, but slipped into the later Block 4 update, the major US-led software upgrade that has itself run late and on which the addition of MBDA’s Meteor air-to-air missile also depends. Because new weapons cannot be certified on the aircraft until that software allows it, the timeline rests substantially on the US-controlled programme rather than on the UK or MBDA alone. The delays drew criticism from the National Audit Office, which reported in 2025 that the UK had not yet acquired an effective stand-off air-to-surface weapon for the fleet.
The delay leaves UK F-35Bs reliant on the Paveway IV guided bomb in the air-to-ground role for the time being, since the decision not to integrate Storm Shadow onto the aircraft means no other long-range strike weapon is currently planned for the type. To bridge the gap, the Ministry of Defence confirmed in May 2026, in a letter from its permanent secretary Jeremy Pocklington to the Public Accounts Committee, that it had approved a Foreign Military Sales purchase of the RTX GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, also known as StormBreaker, to provide an interim stand-off capability until SPEAR 3 enters service.
The glide weapon offers considerably greater range than the unpowered Paveway IV and can engage moving targets in poor weather, though it falls short of the turbojet-powered SPEAR 3 on range and lacks the missile’s ability to network several rounds together. Unlike SPEAR 3, the StormBreaker is already integrated on the F-35B and has been used operationally by United States Marine Corps aircraft, so the UK purchase does not require fresh integration work.
There have also been signs of forward movement on SPEAR 3 itself. The weapon was carried in flight on an F-35B for the first time in January 2026, and in recent weeks an aircraft carried four inert rounds in its internal bay on a captive-carry test flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in the United States, a step intended to inform the next stages of mission-systems integration and jettison trials.
Spiral development describes an approach in which a capability is fielded and then improved in successive increments rather than waiting for a single finished standard, allowing upgrades to be introduced over time as technology and threats change. Pollard’s answer indicated that while SPEAR 3 would follow that path once in service.
Nice to see the government getting its s**t together for a change.
F35B with SPEAR 3 will probably be the best SEAD platform on planet earth, even more so with SPEAR EW incorporated on it. Getting it in the 28/29 financial year is a major improvement.
Once we have this we will have replaced our main US conventional dependency. Our F35 fleet should be capable of taking out almost any integrated air defence system in the world then.
Hopefully by 28/29 LM will have the block IV software to a point where the electronic attack system can actually do electronic attack and not just target identification.
Sorry, Jim, but we’ve have so many slipped targets for integrations and upgrades on F-35 that it’s hard to raise hopes.
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Some progress.
I wouldn’t go as far as HMG getting any **** together, on Defence, Jim.
Great capability, though, when in service.
Although in this specific case we cannot really blame HMG.. this is all US MIC fuckwittery and a good example of why we need to keep everything we possibly can sovereign.. at least if its sovereign and our own MIC does MIC fuckwittery HMG has some hope of control.
Yep, didn’t say otherwise, just questioned HMG doing anything beyond the bare minumin.
And it if the UK purchases more F35As its likely to continue with that too. And what about JSM? Why not give the Meteor the hurry up too?
Has the UK put Spear 3 on the Typhoon’s yet and what about something for the P8s? Would another 20 odd nuclear capable latest Typhoons do the trick as an alternative to the F35A? With the GCAP coming does the UK even need the full 138 F35s?
No, no SPEAR 3 on Typhoon, or anything of yet.
P8 has Torpedoes for ASW work, I think air launched Harpoon ling since gone. Not a priority in my book.
If we are in the tactical nuke game then F35A is better, but we’re not and it’s all politics for show.
No, we cannot afford more than another 27,and they’re strung out to the early 30s, such is the lack of money.
If there is GCAP, at 12 billion to develop, there is no money for other purchases.
In reality the F35A is a fools purchase.. I suspect it driven by a slightly 5th generation obsessed part of the airforce and weak political leadership looking for points.
The reality is the F35s are hanger queens… yes when they are in the air they are game changers.. but even the USN admits they are a sauce best used sparingly.
We should keep just the correct number of F35Bs operating to make the carrier effective (3 squadrons) and even then look to increase its mass with drones. So just have the 70 F35Bs
Personally I think it may be time for the RAF to consider does it need to go back a step and look to a time when it operated larger numbers of different aircraft.
Radical thought.. we need more fast jet squadrons.. soon they will drop down to probably 96 FGR4s that is really only enough for 5 front line squadrons. 70 F35Bs gives 3 squadrons.. for a total of 8 fast jet squadrons.. that’s just to few.
So instead of buying more very expensive hanger queens or still expensive typhoons.. a radical solution would be to buy the cheapest viable aircraft on the market that is also the cheapest to run…
Funny enough there is just such an aircraft, it’s intergrated all the Uk weapons and 37% of it is already made in the UK.. a single engine light fighter that’s profoundly cheaper flight hours wise ( about 30% of the flight hours cost of a typhoon) may be the best way to add squadrons…
So 3 squadrons of gripens essentially for the grunt work of air defence.. 2 QRS for the UK, a flight for Cyprus and a flight for the Falklands.
The 3 f35 squadrons are for carrier work and peer tip of the spear work.. keeping usage low.
The likely 5 remaining squadrons of typhoons are the bulk of the high end deployment roles. But not everyday QRS so preserving the readiness of the fleet for war and active roles.
3-4 Gripen squadrons burning flight hours on QRS intercepting Russian bombers and flying around the high north and Falklands.. with their very high readiness rates and cheap as you like through life flight hours.
It would never happen because the RAF would only ever spend any fast Jet money on F35, the government is not giving more money for 3-4 more fast jet squadrons ( even though 12 is sort of the minimum needed) and if the RAF got of its high horse and asked for more 4.5 generation jets and the government funded it.. everyone would be up in arms if it was not more typhoons.. even through gripen is about 37% British.
Is this counting it with a UK engine or would that make it even more than 37%?
I like it that the Gripen can carry up to five Meteors, obviously the Typhoon can carry more than four too. Its very punchy for a compact aircraft. Wonder if their Global Eye AEW would work in well with the E-7s?
I’m still of the opinion that the RAF needs a strategic bomber. This would be an aircraft that could drop guided bombs (Paveway, JDAM etc) over very low threat areas, but its primary role would be carrying a large number of stand-off cruise missiles against peer threats and targets. With the aim of swamping air defences, helping to burn through their stocks quicker, thereby leaving them more vulnerable to follow up attacks. However, it could also have secondary roles as a tanker, maritime reconnaissance and strike, but also for ISTAR. Thinking outside the box, it could also be used as stand-off magazine for GCAP. Where GCAP finds and tracks the targets, then tasking the “Bomber” to launch air to air/air to surface weapons against them.
The aircraft wouldn’t necessarily need to be in the same stealth class as the B2 or B21. As its relying on staying outside the opponents air defence umbrella to launch long range stand-off weapons. A subsonic blended wing body (BWB) design for example, would give it a naturally low radar cross section, that can be further enhanced using radar absorbent material (RAM). Whilst the BWB design would allow for a very large bomb bay, plus sufficient volume to carry a massive amount of fuel. Which when coupled with some high bypass turbofans, would give it a very long range, due to the more efficient BWB aerodynamics and more powerful yet frugal engines.
However, although I like the Gripen, I think the RAF should concentrate on the F35 and Typhoon for its fast air. Purely down to economics and logistics commonality. But as a number of MPS have now started saying, like Spain and Germany, we should look at getting some new Tranche 4+ aircraft.
Personally, I think that the RAF has to be content with a bit of “jam tomorrow” and let our F-35 order populate carrier strike only while they wait for GCAP; if they need more aircraft in the meantime, then a top-up of Typhoon T4 will be the answer.
F-35 availability is low as it is- we bought the B-model specifically so we could take it on the carriers, and so using it for anything other than carrier strike is looking increasingly unwise if we want to maintain a respectable force ready to go.
The reality is, anywhere that the RAF is operating (UK QRA, forward deployments in Europe, ME, Med, Falklands), Typhoon is overmatch for any situation they find themselves in, and will find themselves in until GCAP comes online. It’s only in the Pacific that F-35 may be required to balance the scales, and that would be carrier strike anyway, because we don’t have any bases over there.
Doing this would likely increase pressure on getting GCAP right too…
Yes, Gripen for the RAF could be transformational.
Meteor and storm shadow already integrated, capable of deployment to improvised air strips and much lower cost per hour.
Surely could fill in some fast jet training too?
It seems very silly to be using really expensive aircraft with massive maintenance requirements for day to day training / tasking
I’m not so bold as to say HMG is getting is s**t together on defence, just on this one weapon which has been a cluster f**k for so long.
A prority… so two years, three,four?
Two years is what the statement says
Dream on lol!
Until Meteor is integrated we have to buy the US ASRAAM. Until Spear is integrated we have to buy the US StormBreaker. It all takes so long we’ve given up on Storm Shadow and aren’t even mentioning Stratus. As we aren’t buying more Typhoons, shouldn’t the lesson be to book a slot to integrate Stratus on the F-35s as soon as possible? Or are we hoping we’ll have better control over the integration timescales on the naval CCA’s we are still writing RFIs about and will probably end up buying in from abroad via the RAF?
A decision was made in 2018 not to integrate StormShadow onto F35B because Typhoon was getting the capability. And in 2018, the out of service date for StormShadow was 2026. So they thought the cost wasn’t worth it for a short service life. Obviously those dates have changed dramatically.
What the hell were they back then proposing to replace Stormshadow with by 2026? Was it simply going to be yet another capability gap? No plan probably rightly, not to integrate it but some claim we don’t need Typhoon it’s obsolete apparently. This unfortunately is just a deluded misunderstanding of what is required and insist that if something is 4th Gen not 5th Gen it’s by definition and simplistically obsolete even though the whole Generational definition was invented by a US company simply trying to promote its new aircraft, not actually based on real time actual capability or need. A proper mix of platforms is required to ensure a full range of weaponry can be exploited and of course interference by foreign actors can be minimised. We have no idea as and when a decent range of weapons will be incorporated onto F-35 and without them it is certainly less effective over all than many 4th Gen alternatives out there.
Stormshadow was never planned to be integrated onto F-35. Anyway no cruise missile is cleared for launch from the weapons bay atm, so you don’t achieve anything. Stormshadow is too big for F-35B weapons bay. Plus you mention US ASRAAM??? As for Meteor there’s no great need for it with its Stealth AMRAAM-D is more than capable to get up close. Originally SEAD/DEAD mission wasn’t even thought of when we procured F-35B. As click bait/diversion there’s a lot of talk about SPEAR3 not being integrated, we are talking about the missile that isn’t actually in operational service!
You don’t really need a 500 mile range cruise missile to be intergrated in the weapons bay, you can just cart it on wing hard points. After all your never coming near the radar horizon even for and airborne radar parked at 30,000 ( radar horizon is about 230 miles at 30,000 feet) so stealth is sort of irrelevant if your sneaking under the radar horizon to take a shot.
The argument for AMRAAM (B and C) on Typhoon was that it’s cheaper than Meteor, not better. I’m not sure how much cheaper than Meteor AMRAAM-D would have been if Meteor had ramped up quantity. I heard estimates that buying it in small numbers alongside AMRAAM has doubled the price. Going with AMRAAM D for cost might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. The argument that Meteor is not needed for F-35 needs to keep the cost implications for Meteor in mind.
Of course you are right about Spear. However, it’s not operational because we only want it for the F-35 and we’ve not announced it will be operationally integrated on Typhoon. We know it has been test fired from the Typhoon but that’s all. Maybe 100km+ is thought a bit short range for a non-stealth fighter even if it is a big step up from Brimstone; however having it operational on anything would make it and its variants, like Spear EW, easier to integrate into anything else, including CCAs. So maybe we should integrate it anyway.
Storm Shadow was originally slated for F35. But was removed from the list due to requirement for the Block 4 update. In its place was supposed to be FCASW (now STARTUS-LO/RS), but I believe this to has been delayed. So Typhoon will be the first of our aircraft to get the new weapon.
The only reason its not been integrated on Typhoon is down to money or more precisely the lack of it. There has been a number of rumours that Typhoon might get the funding through the DIP. The weapon has a published range of 140km+ (87 miles+), which would allow it to approach high threat surface to air systems like the S400. But only from a low approach hight preferably launching the weapon from behind the horizon. SPEAR-3 has a multitude of approach modes, including a hedge hopping mode, where its something like 10m above ground level. The S400 will have serious problems if Spear-3 approaches from this height, which is why it usually has a Pantsir SHORAD system guarding it. Ukraine have shown Pantsir, can not only be attacked, but can also be bypassed to get to the more higher value S400 target.
MBDA have only realistically given us a general range figure for Spear-3. As its actual range will depend upon the launch height and speed of the parent aircraft. Plus a lot will also depend upon the type of attack approach it does, for example a very low height approach all the way to the target will eat through the available fuel very quickly, but will make it extremely hard to detect. Whilst a medium height approach is more fuel efficient, but makes it easier to spot and take out.
I know the MBDA factory that produces Meteor is tiny in comparison to Raytheon’s. Especially as Raytheon is trying to double manufacturing capacity of AMRAAM due to it being used by Ukraine for both F16s and NASAMs against Russian threats.
I personally think they need to find that cash to get Spear 3 onto Typhoon quickly. It makes an awful lot of sense in many ways:
Some level of de-risking the integration onto F-35
I would imagine that a lot of the development of the missile has been stalled/slowed by the fact that it doesn’t currently have a launch platform that it can work with (the article mentions spiral development); getting it onto Typhoon would allow that development to begin now, rather than after its first integration onto F-35.
As you mention, it’s a great SEAD/DEAD weapon, even without the Spear-EW model. And Germany at the very least are getting dedicated SEAD/DEAD/EW variants of Typhoon, others may do similar. Getting the integration onto Typhoon opens up a wider market, beyond just the RAF.
Being in service on one aircraft, and being committed onto another, can bring further integration opportunities. This would be a good fit for Gripen, and Rafale doesn’t have anything in this category either. I’d be surprised if the US would go for it, but it would make sense for F-15EX as a bomb truck without stealth. I imagine the new Korean 4.75 Gen sort-of-stealth KF-21 would get a lot of benefit from it too.
Granted it isn’t ideal however the AMRAAM is a pretty solid bridge to Meteor and Stormbreaker (SDB-II) is an improvement over the Paveway IV in stand off terms and a reasonable stop gap till Spear 3 is ready and integrated. We should also be looking to buy JSM though as although we can’t carry it internally it has such extreme range as to be not an issue if you have a stealth mode F-35 acting as a forward spotter. Effectively one squadron could carry the equivalent of five plus frigates equipped with NSM and we can reload the F-35s at sea. Two squadrons could deliver the effect of eleven frigates every couple of hours. That is a mighty effective way to exhaust the air defence missile load of pretty much anything especially if you follow it up with a steal strike of 80+ SDB-IIs. Modern warships are incredibly well defended unless you have the ability to drain their defences over a short enough time to stop them running away.
Yep indeed, You don’t really need a 500 mile range cruise missile to be intergrated in the weapons bay, you can just cart it on wing hard points. After all your never coming near the radar horizon even for and airborne radar parked at 30,000 ( radar horizon is about 230 miles at 30,000 feet) so stealth is sort of irrelevant if your sneaking under the radar horizon to take a shot.
UK ASRAAM.
Jon of course meant the US AMRAAM.
Are you sure about the 2026 date? I thought FC/ASW had been pointed at 2028 from the start, and I think we’d moved from talking about Perseus to FC/ASW by 2018.
However, if the reason was because of the OOS date for Storm Shadow, queuing up its successor for integration on the F-35s would have been the appropriate response. That’s not what has happened. As far as I’m aware there are still no plans to integrate Stratus on F-35. We expect to use F-35B indefinitely, as it’s the carrier fighter and GCAP will not include a V/STOL variant. Having a full mix of UK/European capability on the F-35 should therefore be an obvious priority.
Just imagine having a VSTOL variant of Tempest…with some fancy twin all in one lift and propulsion engines.. 🤔
Hi Jon, Now that FC/ASW is Stratus LO and RS, the in-service dates have been split.
Stratus LO (the bigger, stealthy slow one) was expected to be on the T26 in 2028 first, then onto Typhoon. Latest from MBDA seems to suggest early 2030s instead, although it’s not clear if that’s delays with the missile or the T26 programme (both?). In theory, as it’s a Mk41 capability, it could go on the T31s too. Obviously, there’s nothing really linking the Typhoon integration to the T26 integration, so presumably that can start whenever the missile is ready to go- and when the RAF have a Typhoon to spare.
Stratus RS (the fast one that’s kind of a mix between an SM-6 and Meteor with surface attack functionality, as far as I can tell) was always supposed to be mid-2030s, but not seen if there’s a slippage on that- nor what platform it’ll be going on first. As it’s the French-led one, they’ll probably be a lot more proactive with getting it integrated, so we’ll have to work hard to keep up.
I’m all fumble fingered at the moment. I’d meant to post that last comment to Robert. And yes, I meant AMRAAM.
2032, just a guess.
Well as long as a UK minister (of any persuasion) states its a priority then thats alright then isnt it. I mean surely LM will now pull out ALL the stops to get this platform ready to integrate UK munitions- why wouldn’t they.
Stormshadow has oroven itself to be well ahead of Russian missile defence capabilities and if Typhoons can be where stormshadow is always needed then no need for carriers. All the structural requirements for StormShadow class weapon were incorporated into inner underwing pylon / rack positions 3 & 9.
Not really.. considering this
It’s about a 4000km round trip to fire a 500km range cruise missile meaningfull targets in Russia..a typhoon has a combat range of about 750km fully loaded with ordnance.. so it’s gong to need a tanker go with it cruise speed is about 1000km per hour.. so essentially flight time is going to be close to 5 hours.. essentially your pilot and aircraft is doing 1 sortie in a day. A carrier 1000km off the coast can do that same sortie in just over 1 hour… giving the option of multiple sorties in a day from one carrier born pilot and aircraft..
I often think these delays by the Septics are purely designed to sell us more weapons.
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Hey Jonathon. My poor attempt at being ironic. My comments were alligned to yours. Stormshadow should be integrated to F35 ASAP even if simply in the pre programed flight mode as used by Ukraine without inflight update capabilty pending Block IV.
I am still at a loss on why Blk IV is a necessity for Spear 3, it’s not that technologically advanced…
Anyway, I’m not dead set against getting SDBII as a stop gap, but a couple of observations:
Any reason why we aren’t getting wing kits for Paveway? They exist and provide a low-cost/high-mass option that would be particularly useful in a larger war. Bonus points for a rocket assist, à la Hammer. That would definitely be able to be integrated on Blk III software for F-35 and Typhoon.
You know what would allow for smoother integration with Spear into F-35? Doing it first with Typhoon to smooth out issues with the weapon itself. Additional benefits to this would be: Typhoon has a high quality stand-off weapon that it could make practical use of; Spear production begins, allowing for early start on the spiral development mentioned in the article (longer range, please), an active production line gives Spear-EW and other potential types a business case now rather than later- getting them into inventory early.