The 1st Cypriot-made mock-up of the long-range loitering munition Spear-22 attracted the interest of those who have attended the CyRIC AGS booth at the EDEX 2023 Defence and Security Exhibition currently being held in Egypt.

In particular, CyRIC – a company based in Nicosia – started developing the Spear-22 several months ago using its own resources. The company seeks to start trials of the said system soon.

The Spear-22 may be used from different platforms; both from aerial platforms such as helicopters, and ground ones, launched from tube launchers.

The CEO of CyRIC AGS Dr. Panagiotis Filimis 

The Cypriot loitering munition, presented at the exhibition in ½-scale, has a trapezoidal structure, an electric motor, and two pairs of folding fins, the first mounted on the upper and the second on the lower part of the fuselage, so that it can be mounted in tube launchers.

The Spear-22 with its fins folded

The Spear-22 has an overall length of 2.20 meters, a wingspan of 3.15 meters, a height of 0.33 meters, and a diameter of 0.45 meters with the fins folded. Its total weight is 40 kg, while its payload reaches 15 kg. The Spear-22 can also carry a multi-mission warhead of different types.

The fins of the Spear-22 being folded

According to Cyric AGS, the Spear-22 will have an endurance of 60-90 minutes, a maximum cruise speed of 80-140 km/h, and an operational range of 60-120 km. These features offer significant operational flexibility to the user, who will be able to locate and then engage targets at a distance beyond the range of artillery guns and rockets of the opponent.

The endurance of the Spear-22 will allow the destruction of targets at the maximum range of the system, with Spear-22’s ability to loiter above the area of ​​interest, facilitating its search, selection, and engagement of the target.

Also read: EDEX 2023 | The major Defence exhibition in Egypt has been inaugurated

The Spear-22 may be directed to the target using alternative guidance and targeting methods. Guidance methods include the loitering munition’s autonomous flight to the target, locating and locking on the target, utilizing its stabilized IIR sensor, which will be placed in the system’s muzzle, and the advanced computer software of the system.

The Spear-22 mock-up in ½ scale with its fins extended 

Alternatively, the Spear-22 may direct itself to the target using a laser designator, which will be mounted on the loitering munition’s muzzle and will follow target designation from other friendly means.

Also, since it only weighs 40 kg, the Spear-22 could be used by large MALE-type aircraft which will be able to carry from 2 to 4 munitions, allowing the user to carry out destructive strikes of high precision on command centers, artillery elements, anti-aircraft systems, communications hubs, forward supply positions and tactical electronic warfare systems.

An alternative proposal could be the ground-launched version of the Spear-22, a version of high interest to the Cypriot land forces.

The weight of the system, combined with its small size, long-range, and lethality, could make the Spear-22 a significant force multiplier against a variety of static and moving targets, deployed over a large area and distance from the friendly forces.

Essentially, with the Spear-22 and its integration into a network-centric ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) system, friendly forces could have an operationally and practically flexible strike system, mounted on small 4×4 vehicles with the capability of launching a salvo of Spear-22 against already located targets.

The Spear-22 loitering munition is being developed by Cypriot engineers, which confirms the significant momentum achieved in the defence industry of Cyprus in recent years.

Also read: USSPS | The European Maritime Surveillance Capability Development Program with the participation of Cyprus companies CyRIC and SignalGeneriX