Cruise missile delays ‘spell disaster' for Britain's stealth jets
Britain's most advanced warplanes will not be able to shoot missiles at ground targets until at least 2030, ministers have admitted.
The F-35B stealth jet was originally set to gain long-range Spear 3 missiles capable of taking out tanks, air defences and bunkers from this year, a target that was later pushed back to 2028.
But in an embarrassing blow to the Ministry of Defence, procurement minister Maria Eagle has revealed their deployment will now be delayed until the 'early 2030s'.
It leaves British F-35B pilots reliant on dropped bombs to strike ground targets, with one expert comparing the situation to the dangerous missions carried out by Lancaster bomber crews in the Second World War.
The aircraft shared by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force are currently only equipped with Paveway IV precision-guided bombs, along with medium and short-range air-to-air missiles.
By comparison, the British-made Spear 3 would allow pilots to launch air-to-ground strikes on targets more than 60 miles away.
Critics warned the delay risks leaving Britain underpowered at a time when the heads of the Army and MI6 have called for the military to be prepared for war with Russia within a few years.
Francis Tusa, an independent defence analyst, said: 'This is a massive disaster for the MoD.
'Spear 3 is meant to be a game-changing missile that will give British pilots a capability that the Russians are genuinely scared of.
'But at the moment, if they want to take out ground targets with our F-35Bs, they will have to fly above them and drop a gravity bomb - much like the Lancaster bomber pilots did during the Second World War.
'It undermines the case for having the F-35 in the first place.'
It represents the latest setback in the MoD's year-long effort to equip the American-made F-35B jets with a broader range of weaponry, changes that must ultimately be signed off by Washington.
In a written statement to MPs, Ms Eagle gave no explanation for the delay to Spear 3. She said the programme was 'currently undergoing re-baselining'.
But it is understood that the issue is related to long-delayed upgrades of the F-35 hardware and software by Lockheed Martin, which makes the jets.
Along with Spear 3, the UK has also been seeking to add longer-range Meteor missiles to the warplane's arsenal - another capability that is not expected until at least the end of this decade.
Spear 3 and Meteor missiles have been developed by MBDA, an Anglo-European manufacturer, whereas the F-35 is built by the US defence giant Lockheed Martin.
The F-35B has been in service with the Navy and Air Force since 2018 and is one of the UK's most expensive defence platforms ever, with each aircraft costing £90m.
They are designed to penetrate enemy territory and carry out devastating strikes, using cutting-edge technology to mask their presence from radar and air defence systems.
Capable of short take-offs and vertical landings, the UK's jets are intended to be operated from the Navy's aircraft carriers and several are currently deployed with HMS Prince of Wales on a tour of the Indo-Pacific.
But the lack of long-range air-to-ground missile capability is seen as a key weakness that limits the jets' effectiveness.
The Ministry of Defence has been seeking to address the problem for years, but its target date for introducing the Spear 3 missile has repeatedly slipped.
Spear 3 was successfully test-fired for the first time last year, but using a Typhoon fighter jet.
In November, the Navy described the tank-busting weapon as 'the next generation of air-to-surface missiles' that would 'provide a new capability to defeat the most complex air defence systems'.
Each F-35B will eventually be able to carry up to eight Spear 3 missiles.
James Cartlidge, the Conservative shadow defence secretary, said: 'With the threats we face from Russia, it's vital that the Royal Air Force has the most cutting-edge weaponry integrated onto all its combat aircraft - available in the near term rather than decades into the future.
'The whole approach of our defence industry and the MoD has to be on accelerating capability into use, taking a less risk-averse approach at every stage.
'For example, Ukraine was able to rapidly integrate our Storm Shadow missile onto their SU24 jets because their total focus was on getting the weapon into service, even if that meant dispensing with lengthy testing and certification.
'The need for our military to focus on near-term threats and war readiness has never been more pressing, and the strategic defence review must enable a transformed approach to risk throughout the MoD.'
The fresh delays will also be seen as a fresh blow to the F-35 programme at a time when ministers are deciding whether to purchase more of the cutting-edge American aircraft, as opposed to the older, but British-made, Eurofighter Typhoons.
It is thought that this question will be tackled in the Strategic Defence Review, which ministers are expected to publish soon.
On Tuesday, an MoD spokesman said: 'With the F-35 Lightning, the RAF is already equipped with one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, and the future integration of Spear 3 will further improve the aircraft's capability in future years.
'As part of the F-35 programme, the UK builds approximately 15pc of each aircraft, securing highly skilled jobs and significant economic growth within the UK.'
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