Israeli firm Rafael unveiled a new light weight missile, timed for the SOFIC conference. (Credit: Rafael)
SOFIC 2022: Israeli defense firm Rafael has announced a new light-weight, air-launched missile dubbed the Aerospike, with close air support for ground forces like special operators in mind.
The missile, whose official debut was timed for the opening of the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Florida today, is a “state-of-the-art, next generation” Stand-Off Precision Guided Missile to be armed on fixed-wing aircraft, the company said in a release.
Beyond close air support, Rafael said the missile can be used for counter-terrorism missions, to counter anti-aircraft artillery batteries and to hit surface-to-air missile sites, as well as armored vehicles and tanks.
“Today’s battle arena is saturated with portable air defense threats – like MANPADs – that require CAS [close air support] elements to operate with greater precision and longer ranges; that is precisely what AEROSPIKE brings to the modern battlefield,” Rafael air-to-surface directorate leader Alon Shlomi said in a statement, referring specifically to US Air Force special operators.
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The missile, which was previously reported by Janes, is part of Rafael’s Spike family of systems, using the company’s Spike LR2 “precision guided missile technologies.”
“A real-time data-link allows for seamless man-in-the-loop operation and advanced lethality with a combination of HEAT (antitank) and blast fragmentation warheads,” the company said.
The missile has a range of 30 km, or more than 18 miles.
Another member of the Spike family, the loitering munition Spike-Firely, has undergone testing by the US Army during its Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment, as Breaking Defense first reported. The Army is currently analyzing the drone’s performance and is expected to decide soon whether it’ll buy in.
