The Spike-MR and Spike-LR are new generation, man-portable and platform-adaptable advanced multi-purpose weapon systems. The Spike system is specially designed for urban warfare, ground support and special missions with maximum survivability. Both the Spike-MR and the Spike-LR incorporate advanced features that enable day/night and adverse weather target engagement. The Spike-MR is Fire
& Forget for autonomous-guided medium range target engagement of up to 2500m. A fibre- optic data link in the Spike-LR enables both the Fire & Forget and the Fire, Observe & Update modes of operation

Spike-MR and Spike-LR have the same firing post. The firing post consists of the Command Launch Unit (CLU), the thermal imaging sight and a tripod. The system is made ready to fire in less than 30 seconds. The soldier acquires the target and lays the cross hairs of the sight on the aim point on the target using either the day sight with a 10x magnification and 5° field of view or the clip-on thermal imaging night sight with wide and narrow fields of view.

In fire-and-forget mode, the soldier activates the missile, locking the tracker on the target and pushes the Fire button to launch. The missile automatically propels itself towards the target without any additional interaction and this fire-and-forget capability allows the soldier the option of relocating to a new firing position or to reload immediately for the next engagement. Reloading takes less than 15 seconds.

After launch the missile follows a lofted trajectory and as it approaches the target it dives down to impact the target. The lofted trajectory and the tandem high explosive warhead enables the missile to penetrate tanks equipped with explosive reactive armour (ERA).

The missile has four rectangular fins for aerodynamic control at the rear, and four wings at just over halfway from nose to tail on the length of the body. They unfold as the missile leaves the launch canister.

The guidance system in the nose of the Spike missile comprises a charge-coupled device (CCD) and imaging infrared (IIR) seeker. The imaging infrared provides higher sensitivity and improved thermal background rejection characteristics for all weather day and night operation.

The Spike-MR is a lightweight missile in the same category as the US Army’s Javelin. The missile uses a lofted trajectory for impact on the upper surfaces of the enemy tank. The warhead is a tandem, shaped charge type for penetration of roof-mounted reactive armor. In 1997, a Rafael representative stated that the new missile was “in limited, small-scale production,” presumably either low-rate production or in trials batches for final evaluation. Polish sources have stated that the missile is being manufactured at a rate of about 10 a month, though this may represent low-rate initial production. This is apparently the only version of the family that does not use a fiber-optic link, but rather employs a lock-before-launch approach. The missile comes packed in a launcher/transport container. It is fired from a small tripod.

The Spike-MR has 4 wings in the way it body and 4 back barbatanas of control that are opened the launching after. The Spike-MR weighs 13kg, length of 1,2m in the container and has war head double type HEAT in tandem being the minor of the classroom with diameter of 110mm and can penetrate homogeneous shield of 800mm being capable to penetrate any shield in an angle of diving of 30º. The operator acquires the target with aiming of the CLU and points head of search of the missile with respect to the target and goes off soon that the missile locks automatically. The missile uses an automatic high trajectory not to be that the direct detonation is chosen.

The Spike-MR is now deployed by Israeli troops in the south and is being marketed to the UK, the US, the Netherlands and Germany. The Spike is also in service with the Singapore Armed Forces. In May 2000, the Finnish Army selected the Spike-MR/LR system to meet its requirement for a medium-range ATGW system to equip its high-readiness brigades. The missile is in direct competition with the US Javelin and two systems developed by Euromissile: the TRIGAT medium-range missile and the Milan 3.

The Spike-MR ATGW, manufactured by Rafael in Israel, has been in service with the IDF for some years.
Spike-MR (Short Spike) with a range of 2.5 km, and the Spike-LR with a range of 4 km. The conversion from one version to the other can be done in the base armory, by adding a fiber optic wire dispenser to the Spike-MR as well as few other adjustments.

The Spike-LR is a similar missile to the Spike-MR but has a fiber-optic adjunct guidance system which enables it to be corrected after launch. It was apparently developed to meet Israeli special forces requirements. It is intended for either infantry use from a lightweight tripod or vehicle launch. It is intended to replace systems such as the Israeli MAPATS and the US TOW. The Spike was offered by Rafael as a possible contender in the US Army JAWS missile program in 1996, later called FOTT (Follow- On-To-TOW), but rejected.

Spike-LR is equipped with a fibre-optic data link guidance system, which sends commands to the missile from the launch system and receives, into the gunner's field of view, images from the seeker. The gunner can update his aim point while the missile is in flight using the fibre optic link. As well as update target information, the datalink allows the gunner to switch targets and also receive real-time intelligence and perform battle damage assessment. The Spike system can work in non line-of-sight (NLOS) mode allowing the gunner to operate from a covered position. Spike-LR, which can also be installed on light combat vehicles, can be used to engage tanks, armoured vehicles, hardened shelters and low flying slow targets such as helicopters.

The conversion from Spike-MR (Short Spike) with a range of 2.5 km to Spike-LR with a range of 4 km can be done in the base armory, by adding a fiber optic wire dispenser to the Spike-MR as well as few other adjustments. On a clear day, the Spike-LR maximum range is 4km. At night or in poor weather, the maximum range is reduced to 3km. The Spike-LR can be fired from sitting, crouching and prone positions or while standing in a trench.

The Spike-LR represents a new generation in missile technology with a high rate precision and with modular adaptability to various platforms. The Spike-LR has reach of 4km and uses the same fuselage and head of war in tandem, but it has additional fiber canal optics. The launching (acronym LOAL in English) with link of fiber has barring option after optics bringing up to date the target for targets beyond the target line (NLOS) that it allows to lock in a hill or house that this the front of the target. After to pass for them the target if becomes visible and the target is redesignado.

Advanced Capabilities - Fire & Forget Plus

Fiber-optic data link enables operator to observe& update during flight and provides the unique ability to