The SPEAR 3 missile was first mounted on the F-35B Lightning II.

Earlier this year, four SPEAR 3 missiles were loaded onto an F-35B at NAS Patuxent River’s Integrated Test Unit, marking the first time the new weapon has flown on a fifth-generation aircraft.

The long-awaited news of SPEAR 3’s first flight test against the F-35B on January 20, 2026 comes just days after the UK Ministry of Defense confirmed plans to acquire the GBU-53/B StormBreaker, or SDB II, in an interim capability due to delays in SPEAR 3 integration. SPEAR 3, developed by MBDA UK, is a 100kg class ammunition with a range of over 140km.

The delay in integrating SPEAR 3 has been sharply criticized by the National Audit Office (NAO). Without the weapon, the strike capability of the UK’s F-35B fleet is limited to possible but relatively short-range Paveway IV guided bombs (developed under the SPEAR 1, or Selective Precision Effects At Range Capability 1 programme).

In addition to the British F-35B, which is operated jointly by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, SPEAR 3 will also be operated in Italy.

The test flight was flown by Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Nick Baker, who previously made headlines as the first British pilot to land an F-35B on a Japanese warship. Baker is currently assigned to the Royal Air Force Air and Space Warfare Center Research and Development Division, where he is deployed to support the F-35 Joint Test Force unit at Patuxent River (also known as Pax River).

RAF Corporal Daniel Housden, who has been closely involved in the test program, said: “As a team we have been working hard towards this important milestone and we are proud to say that SPEAR 3 has now flown in the F-35B.” “We look forward to continuing testing at the F-35 ITF and beginning preparations for first release.”

“Much of this effort is due to the outstanding work of the combined UK government and industry weapons teams, as well as the U.S. government and industry partners,” said Dan Shelton, F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) UK/Italian weapons integration program manager. “The team’s excellent collaboration was essential in navigating the complexities of this program, enabling us to meet all challenges and deliver results.”

Future tests will see the weapon integrated into the F-35’s mission system, culminating in the F-35B’s first SPEAR 3 weapon delivery. Live-fire testing of the Typhoon FGR4 aircraft, which is also equipped with this weapon, has been underway for some time.

Full operational entry of the F-35B is expected in the early 2030s.

spear 3

SPEAR 3’s long journey to the forefront began in the mid-2010s with the selection of MBDA’s proposal to meet the requirements of the SPEAR 3 project. This missile was actually branded simply SPEAR by MBDA, but is commonly known as SPEAR 3 to distinguish it from other SPEAR projects.

As previously mentioned, SPEAR 1 saw the development of Paveway IV. SPEAR 2 has been upgraded with MBDA’s compact Brimstone missile. SPEAR 4 includes an upgrade to Storm Shadow, and SPEAR 5 has now evolved into the STRATUS missile program.

Eight SPEAR 3 missiles can be mounted inside the F-35B. While external carry should theoretically be possible, it does not appear to be the focus of the current integration process. With just eight internal loads, the F-35B could carry more weapons than it currently has, even with a full mix of internal and external loads on the Paveway IV.

MBDA is also developing variants of SPEAR 3, including SPEAR-EW, which is specifically tailored for enemy air defense (SEAD) suppression missions by adding an electronic warfare (EW) payload in place of a warhead. SPEAR-EW is used in conjunction with regular SPEAR ammunition to disrupt and destroy enemy air defenses.

A non-powered glide weapon known as SPEAR Glide is also being developed. By eliminating the turbojet powerplant and associated fuel, the SPEAR Glide sacrifices range for a larger warhead capable of successful attacks against hardened targets.