IAI To Showcase the Blue Spear Surface-to-Surface Missile System For the First Time at the Singapore Airshow
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will take part in the biennial Singapore Airshow, held between 15-18 February, 2022, one of Asia’s most important aviation events. The surface-to-surface missile system, Blue Spear (5G SSM), jointly developed by Singaporean ST Engineering and marketed and sold by Proteus Advanced Systems, will be on display for the first time.
IAI will also display additional platforms it has developed, including the BARAK-LRAD and BARAK-ER Air and Missile Defense Systems, the MF-STAR multi-functional naval radar, the ThunderB VTOL UAV, and the Mini HARPY Multi-Purpose Tactical Loitering Munition.
Boaz Levy, IAI President and CEO said:
“IAI looks forward to participating in the iconic Singapore Airshow and showcasing our cutting-edge technologies – leading the future battlespace and leading the industry in developing high-end Systems of Systems that provide holistic solutions, and the Singapore Airshow provides IAI with a unique opportunity to exhibit our state-of-the-art technologies alongside other companies from the region and the whole world. IAI’s missile and defense systems, and other advanced aerial, naval, land, and space platforms are a testament to the company’s decades-long experience, operational expertise, and innovative spirit that make IAI a globally-recognized leader in the industry. We look forward to building new partnerships and broadening existing collaborations as we continue to innovate and develop advanced technological solutions.”
ST Engineering and IAI collaborated on the Blue Spear (5G SSM) system, with the two countries signing a development agreement a few years ago. ST Engineering’s responsibilities under the arrangement included the design, development, and production of major subsystems such as the booster engine and warhead. The BLUE SPEAR (5G SSM) system, which received its first export order from the Estonian Center for Defense Investment (ECDI) in October of last year, is built on the infrastructure of IAI’s long-running Gabriel missile family system.
The Blue Spear system is capable of operating in all weather conditions, both day and night. Furthermore, the system was designed with a sensitivity that allows it to hit moving and fixed targets at sea beyond the line of sight. The 760 kg missile is 5.34 m long and has a high-explosive insensitive munition warhead weighing 150 kg. The missile is powered by a turbojet engine fueled by liquid jet fuel, providing a range of 290 km at subsonic speeds.
A variety of ground platforms can also be used to launch the Blue Spear missile. The RCC uses active radar homing and an inertial guidance technology that ensures precise target acquisition accuracy and is unaffected by GPS failures.