MBDA’s New SPEAR Glide Offers Scalable Low Cost Precision Strike And Saturation Power In Contested Skies
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During DSEI UK 2025 in London, MBDA officially unveiled the SPEAR Glide, a new member of the SPEAR family of precision strike weapons designed to complement the existing turbojet-powered SPEAR. This variant emerges as a response to the growing need for affordable, mass-producible munitions that maintain effectiveness in contested environments. With air defense suppression and precision strike missions now requiring higher volumes of effectors, SPEAR Glide is presented as a system that could change the balance of air campaigns by combining reduced cost, higher payload lethality, and broad platform compatibility.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
SPEAR Glide therefore embodies a shift in modern air combat doctrine, where volume of fire is becoming as critical as precision. By introducing a weapon designed for affordability, stockpile expansion, and seamless integration with allied aircraft, MBDA is positioning European air forces to sustain operations in contested skies while retaining sovereign control over their munitions supply chains (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
The SPEAR Glide is built around the same geometry as the original SPEAR but removes the turbojet propulsion system, lowering overall cost while allowing integration of an enlarged warhead. Weighing slightly under 100 kg and measuring less than 2 meters in length, the weapon is compatible with the triple and quadruple launchers already developed for SPEAR and Brimstone, and its folding-wing design ensures conformity with the internal bays of platforms such as the F-35. Equipped with a dual-mode seeker combining electro-optic/TV and semi-active laser guidance, it retains accuracy even under GNSS-denied conditions thanks to DSMAC image-based navigation and algorithms derived from MBDA’s Crossbow seeker development. Its expected range exceeds 80 km, placing it in the same class as the GBU-53/B StormBreaker and the Turkish TOLUN IIR glide munition.
The development of SPEAR Glide accelerated over the past 18 months as MBDA sought to offer a medium-range utility strike weapon. Unlike the high-end SPEAR equipped with a tri-mode seeker and turbojet for deep strike, the Glide version relies on kinetic energy and a full-calibre penetrator to defeat soft and moderately hardened targets, including command posts, bunkers, and slow-moving vehicles. The program leveraged MBDA’s digital twin technology and data from the existing SPEAR system to reduce risks and costs, while extensive use of commercial off-the-shelf components has made the design adaptable for rapid mass production. Testing is currently focused on the seeker and warhead, with MBDA projecting entry into service within three years of a contract award.
From an industrial perspective, SPEAR Glide is designed for scalability and flexibility, using traditional engineering methods rather than highly specialized processes. This approach makes it easier for partner nations to absorb technology transfers, establish local production lines, and secure supply chains. MBDA has also highlighted the potential for integrating national sub-components with minimal certification costs, allowing customer countries to adapt the weapon to their own defense industrial base while still benefiting from the core design. This emphasis on production resilience positions SPEAR Glide as not only a weapon but also a strategic tool for strengthening sovereign defense capabilities.
Compared with other precision glide weapons, SPEAR Glide positions itself as a European equivalent to the GBU-53/B StormBreaker and the Israeli Spice 250, but with tighter integration into fourth- and fifth-generation platforms used by NATO allies. Unlike these systems, SPEAR Glide emphasizes modularity within MBDA’s family, allowing nations already operating SPEAR or Brimstone to benefit from common logistics, storage, and training infrastructure. Its reduced cost is intended to allow stockpiles to be built at scale, supporting saturation strikes that overwhelm advanced air defenses. This contrasts with the original SPEAR, which remains a high-value asset for deep strike missions but is less suitable for mass employment.
The broader strategic context highlights why SPEAR Glide arrives at a critical time. European armed forces, after two years of observing the war in Ukraine, have identified a clear shortfall in precision-guided munitions stockpiles. NATO planners have stressed the importance of scalable weapons that can be fielded in numbers rather than relying exclusively on exquisite, limited-inventory systems. SPEAR Glide directly answers this requirement: it is a munition that can be procured in bulk, deployed rapidly across allied air fleets, and sustained over prolonged campaigns without exhausting inventories of high-value missiles. For NATO, this represents a step toward resilience in high-intensity conflict, where sustained attrition has proven to be a decisive factor.
The strategic implications of SPEAR Glide are significant. In a future European or Indo-Pacific conflict where attrition and sustained operations dominate, a low-cost but precise munition allows air forces to conserve high-end weapons for the initial suppression of defenses while maintaining operational tempo in prolonged engagements. By combining AI-based navigation, compatibility with a wide range of Western aircraft, and scalability of production, SPEAR Glide aligns with the broader trend of preparing for high-intensity warfare against peer adversaries. It also offers export potential to nations seeking affordable precision strike capabilities without depending entirely on U.S. or Israeli systems, further consolidating MBDA’s position as Europe’s primary missile house.
SPEAR Glide therefore embodies a shift in modern air combat doctrine, where volume of fire is becoming as critical as precision. By introducing a weapon designed for affordability, stockpile expansion, and seamless integration with allied aircraft, MBDA is positioning European air forces to sustain operations in contested skies while retaining sovereign control over their munitions supply chains. The message from DSEI 2025 is clear: the future of airpower will be shaped not only by cutting-edge systems but also by the ability to field them in sufficient numbers when it matters most.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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During DSEI UK 2025 in London, MBDA officially unveiled the SPEAR Glide, a new member of the SPEAR family of precision strike weapons designed to complement the existing turbojet-powered SPEAR. This variant emerges as a response to the growing need for affordable, mass-producible munitions that maintain effectiveness in contested environments. With air defense suppression and precision strike missions now requiring higher volumes of effectors, SPEAR Glide is presented as a system that could change the balance of air campaigns by combining reduced cost, higher payload lethality, and broad platform compatibility.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
SPEAR Glide therefore embodies a shift in modern air combat doctrine, where volume of fire is becoming as critical as precision. By introducing a weapon designed for affordability, stockpile expansion, and seamless integration with allied aircraft, MBDA is positioning European air forces to sustain operations in contested skies while retaining sovereign control over their munitions supply chains (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
The SPEAR Glide is built around the same geometry as the original SPEAR but removes the turbojet propulsion system, lowering overall cost while allowing integration of an enlarged warhead. Weighing slightly under 100 kg and measuring less than 2 meters in length, the weapon is compatible with the triple and quadruple launchers already developed for SPEAR and Brimstone, and its folding-wing design ensures conformity with the internal bays of platforms such as the F-35. Equipped with a dual-mode seeker combining electro-optic/TV and semi-active laser guidance, it retains accuracy even under GNSS-denied conditions thanks to DSMAC image-based navigation and algorithms derived from MBDA’s Crossbow seeker development. Its expected range exceeds 80 km, placing it in the same class as the GBU-53/B StormBreaker and the Turkish TOLUN IIR glide munition.
The development of SPEAR Glide accelerated over the past 18 months as MBDA sought to offer a medium-range utility strike weapon. Unlike the high-end SPEAR equipped with a tri-mode seeker and turbojet for deep strike, the Glide version relies on kinetic energy and a full-calibre penetrator to defeat soft and moderately hardened targets, including command posts, bunkers, and slow-moving vehicles. The program leveraged MBDA’s digital twin technology and data from the existing SPEAR system to reduce risks and costs, while extensive use of commercial off-the-shelf components has made the design adaptable for rapid mass production. Testing is currently focused on the seeker and warhead, with MBDA projecting entry into service within three years of a contract award.
From an industrial perspective, SPEAR Glide is designed for scalability and flexibility, using traditional engineering methods rather than highly specialized processes. This approach makes it easier for partner nations to absorb technology transfers, establish local production lines, and secure supply chains. MBDA has also highlighted the potential for integrating national sub-components with minimal certification costs, allowing customer countries to adapt the weapon to their own defense industrial base while still benefiting from the core design. This emphasis on production resilience positions SPEAR Glide as not only a weapon but also a strategic tool for strengthening sovereign defense capabilities.
Compared with other precision glide weapons, SPEAR Glide positions itself as a European equivalent to the GBU-53/B StormBreaker and the Israeli Spice 250, but with tighter integration into fourth- and fifth-generation platforms used by NATO allies. Unlike these systems, SPEAR Glide emphasizes modularity within MBDA’s family, allowing nations already operating SPEAR or Brimstone to benefit from common logistics, storage, and training infrastructure. Its reduced cost is intended to allow stockpiles to be built at scale, supporting saturation strikes that overwhelm advanced air defenses. This contrasts with the original SPEAR, which remains a high-value asset for deep strike missions but is less suitable for mass employment.
The broader strategic context highlights why SPEAR Glide arrives at a critical time. European armed forces, after two years of observing the war in Ukraine, have identified a clear shortfall in precision-guided munitions stockpiles. NATO planners have stressed the importance of scalable weapons that can be fielded in numbers rather than relying exclusively on exquisite, limited-inventory systems. SPEAR Glide directly answers this requirement: it is a munition that can be procured in bulk, deployed rapidly across allied air fleets, and sustained over prolonged campaigns without exhausting inventories of high-value missiles. For NATO, this represents a step toward resilience in high-intensity conflict, where sustained attrition has proven to be a decisive factor.
The strategic implications of SPEAR Glide are significant. In a future European or Indo-Pacific conflict where attrition and sustained operations dominate, a low-cost but precise munition allows air forces to conserve high-end weapons for the initial suppression of defenses while maintaining operational tempo in prolonged engagements. By combining AI-based navigation, compatibility with a wide range of Western aircraft, and scalability of production, SPEAR Glide aligns with the broader trend of preparing for high-intensity warfare against peer adversaries. It also offers export potential to nations seeking affordable precision strike capabilities without depending entirely on U.S. or Israeli systems, further consolidating MBDA’s position as Europe’s primary missile house.
SPEAR Glide therefore embodies a shift in modern air combat doctrine, where volume of fire is becoming as critical as precision. By introducing a weapon designed for affordability, stockpile expansion, and seamless integration with allied aircraft, MBDA is positioning European air forces to sustain operations in contested skies while retaining sovereign control over their munitions supply chains. The message from DSEI 2025 is clear: the future of airpower will be shaped not only by cutting-edge systems but also by the ability to field them in sufficient numbers when it matters most.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
