The fire-and-forget anti-tank guided Spike missile truly embodies the nickname “tank killer.”
Israel’s military-technology complex is truly incredible for such a small country. From homegrown main battle tanks and artillery to missiles and air defense systems, Israeli defense equipment is widely considered to be top-notch. One particular missile that has sparked the interest of the U.S. Army is the Spike. This fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), designed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, truly embodies the nickname “tank killer.” According to the American subsidiary of the weapon’s manufacturer, the U.S. Army is working with Rafael in order to further develop the weapon. The firm announced that the new Spike variant will include “future enhancements and Americanization” of the munitions, adding that this new agreement “aims to leverage the expertise and resources of both organizations to adequately evaluate the cutting-edge precision tactical missile systems for better alignment with the U.S Army’s evolving needs for modern warfare.”
Introducing the Spike missile
The Spike’s origin story dates back to the 1970s when the relatively new Israeli state was still recovering from the Yom Kippur War. At the time, Israel’s hostile neighbors were equipped with over 1,400 Soviet-made main battle tanks, greatly outnumbering the Jewish state’s own armored fleet. The Israel Defense Forces suffered major losses at the onset of the war, especially since it did not possess the anti-tank weaponry required to thwart Syrian and Egyptian advances.
In order to rectify this shortcoming, the Spike series of ATGMs were developed. These tactical precision-guided missiles were designed to use electro-optical and fiber-optic technologies to successfully strike targets. The weapon’s versatility extends to its operators, as infantry soldiers, ground forces, special reaction forces, and helicopter aircrews can launch the Spike missile. The anti-tank Spike variant has seen wide success in combat. As explained by Army Technology, the missile locks the tracker on the target upon being activated and its operator pushes the fire button to launch. Next, the missile propels itself automatically toward the target. Due to the missile’s fire-and-forget capacity, the operator is able to relocate upon firing or reloading immediately. Coupled with the missile’s lofted trajectory, the high explosive warhead is able to penetrate tanks protected by even the most secure armor.
Notably, the weapon’s launcher can deliver precise bombardments while remaining up to 30 kilometers away from its target. Within the Spike family, several variants are available. The short-range Spike-SR missile and Spike Firefly miniature tactical loitering weapon have relatively shorter ranges of 2km and 1.5km respectively. The medium-range Spike-MR can reach targets up to 2.5km away, while the extended-range Spike-ER2 can reach targets up to 16km away.
According to Rafael, over forty nations have procured more than 30,000 missiles since the Spike was first introduced. The ATGM’s stellar combat record and significant capabilities clearly make it a coveted weapon. In fact, Spike is substantially pricier than its American-made FGM-Javelin counterpart, but export interest remains high in the Israeli system regardless.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: www.esercito.difesa.it, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons.
