Spike (missile)
Spike is an Israeli fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile and anti-personnel missile with a tandem-charge high-explosive anti-tank warhead., it is in its sixth generation. It was developed and designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. It is available in man-portable, vehicle-launched, helicopter-launched and maritime variants.
The missile can engage and destroy targets within the line-of-sight of the launcher, and some variants can make a top attack through a "fire, observe and update" method ; the operator tracking the target, or switching to another target, optically through the trailing fiber-optic wire while the missile is climbing to altitude after launch. This is similar to the lofted trajectory flight profile of the US FGM-148 Javelin.
Design
Spike is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The missile is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker.The long and extended range versions of the Spike also have the capability of "Fire, Observe and Update" operating mode. The missile is connected by a fiber-optical wire that is spooled out between the launch position and the missile. With this, the operator can obtain a target if it is not in the line of sight of the operator at launch, switch targets in flight, or compensate for the movement of the target if the missile is not tracking the target for some reason. Hence, the missile can be fired speculatively for a target of opportunity, or to provide observation on the other side of an obstacle. The missile has a soft launch capability – the motor firing after the missile has left the launcher – that allows the missile to be fired from confined spaces, which is a necessity in urban warfare.
The missile uses a tandem warhead consisting of two shaped charges: a precursor warhead to detonate any explosive reactive armor, and a primary warhead to penetrate the underlying armor. Currently, it is replacing aging semi-automatic command to line of sight second generation anti-tank missiles like the MILAN and M47 Dragon in the armies of the [|user nations]. Spike missile is also equipped with heat chasing technology.
The Spike system is made up of the launching tripod with its fire control unit and the missile. There is no dedicated thermal sight on the launcher: the missile's imaging seeker is used. Altogether, the long range variant of the system weighs around.
Spike can be operated from the launcher by infantry, or from mounts that can be fitted to vehicles such as fast attack vehicles, armoured personnel carriers or utility vehicles. Vehicles that are not normally fitted with anti-tank weapons can therefore be given anti-tank capability.
Spike has been tested as a weapon system for the SAGEM Sperwer unmanned aerial vehicle. The Spanish Army has fitted the Spike ER to its Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters. Both Israel and the United States have experimented with arming Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with the Spike missile; the US variant is used in UH-60M Battlehawk helicopters.
Marketing
In order to facilitate the selling of the weapon system in Europe, the company EuroSpike GmbH was formed in Germany. Its shareholders are Diehl Defence, Rheinmetall Defence Electronics and Rafael via ERCAS B.V. ERCAS B.V. is a Dutch holding company owned 100% by Rafael.EuroSpike GmbH is located in Röthenbach, Germany. The European variant of the Spike weapon system differs a little from the Israeli version and is marketed under the name EuroSpike.
The missiles were also marketed and produced under license in Singapore by ST Engineering.
For other areas of the world, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. is solely responsible.
Rafael state over 40,000 missiles had been delivered to 41 countries by 2023, of which about 7,000 had been used in trials, training, and combat.
Variants
Firing post
Command & Launch Unit (CLU)
The reusable Command & launch unit, battery, tripod and the thermal sight are common for both MR and LR versions of the Spike missile family, each weighing,,, and respectively.Integrated Control Launch Unit (ICLU)
They are used for the newer variants LR2 and ER2 variants.Vehicle Missile Launching System (VMLS)
Launching system used on all turrets equipped with the Spike missile. The Spike LR, ER and NLOS as well as the modernised variants can be used with these systems.Missiles
Spike SR
The short range version of the weapon was unveiled in 2012 to give infantrymen a guided missile between the larger Spike MR and unguided rockets. The missile is for a disposable munition for use at platoon-level whose minimum range is and whose maximum range is. It is equipped with a stiff-necked uncooled electro-optical infrared seeker and advanced tracker, as opposed to the gimballed seeker in the Spike MR/LR/ER versions. The Spike SR does not require a separate sight, instead utilizing the low-cost thermal camera and guidance electronics strapped to the missile's nose to provide this function through a display integrated into the launcher, showing the target until launch. The warhead can either be a multi-purpose tandem shaped-charge warhead with blast-fragmentation effect or a new Penetration-Blast-Fragmentation variant leveraged from the MATADOR's anti-structure warhead to equip maneuvering forces in urban environments to breach enemy cover and structures with a lethal blast effect. In May 2016 Rafael concluded deliveries of Spike SR to its first export customer, later revealed to be the Singapore Armed Forces to replace the Carl Gustaf M2.Spike MR
The medium range version. The weight of the missile is, its minimum range is 200 m, while its maximum range is. It is used by infantry and special forces.Spike LR
Long range version. The weight of the missile is, and the weight of the complete system is less than. Maximum range is and it is used by infantry and light combat vehicles. It adds fiber-optic communication to and from the operator during flight. Reported armour penetration capability is more than of Rolled homogeneous armour. It is also deployed in Sentry Tech remotely controlled weapons stations along the Gaza border. In early 2014, Rafael revealed they had increased the range of the Spike LR to, enhancing versatility on existing firing platforms and allowing it to be utilized on new ones like light helicopters.Spike LR2
A new generation of the original Spike LR is in full-scale development and scheduled to be operational by the end of 2018. Spike LR2 has a reduced missile weight to, and a reduced total system weight of 25 kg, increased range of at ground level and from helicopters using an RF data-link. Warhead options of tandem HEAT with 30% increased armor penetration or a multipurpose blast warhead with selectable impact or penetration detonation fusing, a new seeker that includes an uncooled IR sensor with a smart target tracker with artificial intelligence features, the ability to fire on grid target coordinates using an inertial measurement unit for third party-target allocation, and is compatible with legacy launchers. The missile is designed with a counter-active protection system capability, being able to hit targets at higher impact angles of up to 70 degrees. First ordered by the Israel Defense Forces in October 2017.Spike ER
Extended range or extra-long range version of the weapon. It has a minimum range of 400 m and a maximum range of. It has a larger diameter and is heavier than the other systems, and is usually vehicle mounted. It is used by infantry, Light Combat Vehicle, and helicopters. The Finnish Navy's Coastal Jaegers and Philippine Navy's Multi-purpose Attack Craft Mk.III also operate this version in the anti-ship role. The weight of the missile is, the launchers are and respectively for the vehicle and air-launched versions. Penetration is around of RHA.A maritime version of the Spike ER, with a stated range of up to and equipped with an electro-optical guidance system. The deck launcher can hold 4 missiles.
Spike ER2
In August 2018, Rafael disclosed the development of an enhancement of the missile called the Spike ER2. It retains the same weight, airframe, surface geometries, and propulsion unit but introduces a two-way RF data-link to increase real-time control to an extended range of from helicopters; it also has an extended fiber optic link to increase range to from land and naval platforms.Spike NLOS
"Non Line Of Sight" is an ultra long-range version of the weapon, with a claimed maximum range of. It is a significantly larger missile than other Spike variants, with an overall weight of around. It can be launched from the ground or from helicopters. It was developed following lessons learned in the Yom Kippur War, which showed a need for a high-precision guided tactical ground-to-ground battlefield missile. The first variants entered service with the Israel Defense Forces in tandem with the Pereh missile carrier in 1981, though the existence of both was not revealed to the public until 2011. The Spike NLOS uses a fiber optic link similar to other Spike versions, but only out to 8 km, after which it employs a radio data link for command guidance.In 2011 it also became known that in a highly unusual move, the British Army was hastily equipped with the missile for counter-mortar fire, drawn directly from IDF inventory after being exposed to increasing insurgent attacks in Iraq. Beginning in 2007 three variants of the NLOS were procured. A total of 600 missiles were acquired, the breakdown being 200 optical camera equipped NLOS Mk.2 in 2007, 200 thermal imaging equipped NLOS Mk.4 in 2008 for night operations, 200 dual camera equipped NLOS Mk.5 followed in 2009 which featured wings for slower but better maneuvering flight and a multi-purpose warhead replacing the anti-armor warhead of previous versions. For operational security, the codename of 'EXACTOR missile' was assigned in British service and it was initially mounted on launchers atop leased M113 APCs. The NLOS Mk.2 performed badly being too fast and difficult to control, the M113 overheated in the desert and had a poor resolution camera display that compared unfavorably with its contemporaries. So Britain financed the development of the NLOS Mk.5 known in British service as the EXACTOR 2 which replaced the M113 APC with a towed trailer known as SPARC holding four missiles in a 360-degree rotating turret that could be remotely controlled up to 500 m away ditching the non-standard M113 APCs altogether when in 2010 the batteries were transferred from Iraq to Afghanistan.
In a deal concluded on 6 September 2011, the South Korean government had agreed to purchase an unknown number of Spike NLOS Mk.5 missiles.
Rafael is working on expanding the missile's versatility by enhancing the existing EO-IR/CCD seeker with semi-active laser capability and different anti-armor, blast-penetration, and high-explosive fragmentation warheads to meet specific applications.
In 2020 the US Army announced its intention to procure Spike NLOS missiles to be mounted on Apache helicopters. A test was conducted in March 2021 where an AH-64E fired a Spike NLOS at a target away and scored a direct hit.
In June 2022, Rafael unveiled the Spike NLOS 6th generation with range increased to, a salvo feature which can launch up to four missiles at a time, and the ability to hand over control after firing to another platform. It also has a Target Image Acquisition capability that can prioritize important targets for strike, and can be carried by strategic UAVs in the Heron-TP-class.
The Israeli Navy uses a maritime version of the Spike NLOS, with a stated range of up to and equipped with a dual passive electro-optical guidance system and an infrared imaging camera with image processing capabilities. The deck launcher is available for 8 or 4 missiles.