Wiadomości
Nearly 40 users and 45 integrated platforms, and system proven on a real battlefield. These are the undeniable advantages of the Spike ATGM. The Israeli company Rafael is constantly expanding its portfolio of guided anti-tank missiles, of which six generations are already in production and reaching customers. The new member of the Spike ATGM family offers completely new operational capabilities, giving the user the ability to attack and destroy enemy vehicles and objects from longer distances, providing better protection for the launcher crew.
One of the more interesting Spike variants, and certainly the most unusual, is the Spike Firefly rotorcraft having two coaxial rotors, which should be classified as loitering ammunition. With mass of 2.6 kg Firefly can loiter for about 15 minutes after launch (30 minutes with an additional battery), providing the operator increasing observation range of up to 1.5 km. The Spike Firefly kit consists of three missiles, a control unit and a transport backpack. The missile is equipped with a proximity fuse, a two-way data link and a replaceable warhead. Firefly can move between programmed waypoints or in fly-by-video mode, in which the operator has direct control over the missile’s route and flight parameters.
Another Spike variant promoted by the Israeli company is the Spike LR2, which can be launched based only on coordinates - without the target in sight and without the use of a GPS signal. At the terminal phase, the operator can correct the missile’s flight path. The LR2 variant was designed for launching from portable and vehicle-mounted launchers. The missile’s range exceeds 5.5 km.
Rafael also offers the Spike ER2 missile, having a range of up to 16 km, with an empty weight about 34 kg. So far, Spike ER2 has been integrated with ten different types of combat and multi-role helicopters. Having these parameters, the ER2 variant can provide helicopter’s greater survivability, providing stand-off capability in contested environment.
Another Rafael missile offered to Poland, as part of the Otokar-Brzoza program, is Spike NLOS, providing precise engagement of armored targets at a distance of up to 32 km. Company assures that Spike NLOS is based on the most advanced technologies and can be used in both LOBL (Lock-On-Before Launch) and LOAL (Lock-On-After-Launch) modes.
The Polish industry already has experience in cooperation with the Israeli company, because Spike-LR ATGM was also manufactured in our country, as part of the offset obligations. Adapting the Mesko plants to produce new variants of the Israeli missile will certainly be an easier and cheaper solution than implementing the production or assembly lines or manufacturing from scratch completely new effectors.
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