MBDA Enhances SPEAR Missiles with AI Collaboration Technology

MBDA Enhances SPEAR Missiles with AI Collaboration Technology
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 22, 2024

MBDA has significantly advanced its Orchestrike collaborative weapons artificial intelligence (AI) over the past year, and is proud to announce that the SPEAR family of weapons will be the first cruise missiles to incorporate AI-enhanced collaboration while ensuring a human operator remains in control.

Eric Beranger, CEO of MBDA, stated, "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."

Orchestrike will boost the performance of SPEAR missiles through AI-driven coordination, collaboration, and cooperation between the missiles and the pilot controlling them from the launch aircraft. This AI capability will allow SPEAR missiles to respond to threats and work together with the pilot to address tactical challenges, enhancing both missile and platform survivability and overall mission effectiveness. The missiles will always operate within the parameters set by the operator, ensuring legal and ethical use at all times.

Since its unveiling at the Paris Air Show 2023, MBDA has swiftly developed Orchestrike from concept to capability within twelve months. The focus has been on refining AI algorithms, advancing missile-to-missile datalinks, and integrating these elements into SPEAR to enhance the cruise missile's already world-leading capabilities.

Orchestrike demonstrates how MBDA is investing collaboratively across nations to meet customer needs. It also showcases the company's ability to innovate, bring capabilities to service quickly, and update them progressively.

At the MBDA stand at Farnborough International Airshow, an Orchestrike digital-twin simulator featuring real missile AI and hardware, including new network-enabled datalinks, will allow military users to engage in a simulated raid where the missiles react live and collaboratively to tactical developments thanks to the Orchestrike AI capability.

The SPEAR family consists of network-enabled cruise missiles developed by MBDA to meet air forces' requirements for defeating and suppressing enemy air defenses by striking moving targets in all weather conditions and from stand-off ranges. These missiles possess advanced mission planning capabilities and can execute complex missions at long ranges, all while being exceptionally compact, allowing an F-35 to carry eight SPEAR missiles within its weapon bays.

In the future, Orchestrike technology could be extended to other munitions with network-enabled datalink capabilities.