MBDA UK presented its SPEAR missiles to senior Hellenic Air Force officers in Athens on 8 October, as Greece weighs weapons for its future F-35A fighters.
The meeting took place at the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence said. Officers from the General Staff and from Tactical Air Force Headquarters attended.
Two company representatives also led the briefing. They were Rachel Westwood, Regional Sales Executive, and Savio Babu, Technical Manager for Airborne Technical and Military Operations.
According to the ministry, the aim was to brief officers on the capabilities of the SPEAR and SPEAR-EW weapon systems. The ministry did not report any order, offer or decision.
MBDA SPEAR missiles explained
SPEAR is a miniature cruise missile for striking ground targets from a distance, MBDA said. The company developed it for the United Kingdom, mainly to suppress enemy air defences.
In addition, MBDA said SPEAR missiles work in all weather, resist heavy countermeasures and can hit moving targets. An F-35 carries the missiles inside its internal weapons bay.
Similarly, SPEAR-EW uses the same body but carries an electronic warfare payload instead of a warhead. MBDA said it acts as a stand-in jammer that confuses enemy air defences and protects friendly aircraft.
A test F-35B flew with four SPEAR missiles in its bay for the first time earlier in 2026, MBDA said. Before that, the missile completed its first guided firings from a Typhoon in late 2024.
Greece and the F-35A
Greece signed a deal with the United States in 2024 to buy 20 F-35A stealth fighters. As a result, the Hellenic Air Force is now studying which weapons the new jets should carry.
Greek defence press reports also point to interest in US weapons, including the AIM-260 air-to-air missile. However, the ministry made no mention of other weapons in its account of the MBDA UK meeting.
Greek City Times reported on Athens’ push for F-35s and new US weapons ahead of the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Earlier, Greek firm IDE won an MBDA contract for a European anti-drone missile program.
MBDA has not said whether it will make Greece a formal offer for its SPEAR missiles.
Source: Hellenic Ministry of National Defence
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