Haifa, June 1, 2004 – RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd has announced the release of a new member of the SPIKE Family of 4th generation multi-purpose guided missiles – the Penetration, Blast and Fragmentation (PBF) version of its well-known SPIKE-ER.  

RAFAEL developed the PBF version of the SPIKE-ER to fulfill the needs of its customers for an effective / minimal collateral damage weapon system for urban and anti-terror warfare, low intensity conflicts, and high value targets.

The basic version of the SPIKE-ER contains a tandem-shaped charge warheads system, capable of penetrating any main battle tank armor from ranges of up to 8km.  The SPIKE-ER, which can be fired day or night from helicopters, light combat vehicles and naval vessels (Typhoon), claims its fourth generation status due to its unusual capabilities. Among others are concealed targets capability, the ability to alternate targets or abort a mission after launch and the ability to perform real-time surveillance and damage assessment. 

The new Penetration, Blast and Fragmentation warhead of the SPIKE-ER is capable of penetrating light armor and concrete bunkers.

Spike-ER Anti Tank Guided Weapon (ATGW) is the extended long-range version of the Spike family, capable of defeating tanks at a range of up to 8 kilometers. This missile is designed for installation on land vehicles, helicopters and naval platforms. Spike-ER uses a day seeker or day/night seeker, tandem warhead, and retains the dual operation modes of Spike - Fire-and-Forget & Fire-Observe and Update.

The extended range (8km) version, Spike-ER, also has a larger warhead. It is designed for mounting on light combat vehicles but can also be removed and fitted into a tripod. The vehicle package includes the missile in its canister, a remotely controlled turret with target acquisition system and electronics and gunner's station with multi-function display, control panel and handgrip.

A bi-directional fibre-optic datalink provides Spike-ER with a Fire and Steer mode, in addition to the other two modes. This means that the gunner does not need to lock-on to the target before launch, but can choose the target after launch and steer the missile to the target's most vulnerable point or hand over to fire-and-forget.

Rafael has developed a version of Spike-ER with a Penetration, Blast and Fragmentation (PBF) warhead which only explodes after penetration of the target (e.g. a wall), minimising collateral damage.

A Spike-ER launcher has been developed for helicopters. The four-round launcher requires no modifications to the helicopter, other than software integration. It can be fitted to a variety of helicopters, including AH-64 Apache (which can carry 16 missiles), AH-1S Cobra, A-129, MD-500, Mi-24 and others.

The SPIKE-ER is equipped with a fiber-optic bi-directional data link that allows the gunner to watch the video taken by the missile seeker before and in-flight.  The gunner is also able to steer the missile using that video.  It is as if the gunner is riding the missile to the target.
 

The SPIKE-ER has the following unique capabilities:

• Very high hit probability at all ranges (400m up to 8000m) – The probability that the missile will hit a non-target area or will miss the target by short distance and will hurt innocent people is very low.  Fighting in urban terrain, the enemy tanks or targets might be inside a town.  Using the SPIKE-ER ensures that only the enemy target would take the hit.
• Extremely high accuracy (very small CEP) - It's not just that the missile hits the target it should, but it hits precisely where the gunner wants the missile to hit.  For example, if the target is a room from which terrorists are firing, the SPIKE-ER would hit precisely where needed, therefore nearly eliminating the risk of hitting another room.
• PBF – Recently developed, the PBF (Penetration, Blast and Fragmentation) version of the SPIKE-ER penetrates the target and only then explodes.  Thus, the collateral damage outside the target is minimized even more.  Following the scenario discussed above, the missile penetrates the wall while reducing the risk to innocent bystanders to a minimum.
• Abort mission after launch- While in the air, the missile transmits the video image through the fiber optic link to the gunner.  When the missile approaches the target, the image gets clearer.  At that stage, the gunner might realize that the target he is aiming at is not a legitimate target.  In that case, he may steer the missile to an empty point causing no damage.

The Spike-ER helicopter-launcher, equipped with full helicopter interface, hosts up to four missiles within their canisters. It implements all aspects of missile operation including missile selection and activation, down and uplinks and firing sequence. The launcher is connected to the fixed helicopter pylon via 14" standard lugs on each side on each side of the helicopter and requires no helicopter modifications, other than software integration.

• Supports up to four Rounds in readiness on a helicopter pylon
• Provides electrical interface between the Rounds and the helicopter
• Provides gas coolant to missile seekers
• upports CCD (Day), and IIR (Night) and Training Missiles

The Launcher contains the following subsystem assemblies:

Main Structure

• Supports and restrains up to four rounds
• Provides rapid rounds loading and unloading
• Houses the electronics and the coolant subsystems
• Provides mechanical interface between the main structure and a helicopter pylon.

Launcher Electronics Unit (LEU)

• Electrical interface between the round and the HELICOPTER systems
• Supplies/distributes coolant gas from the bottles to the desired Round.

High Pressure Gas bottles

• Provide coolant gas to round seekers via the LEU.

HeliCOAT Simulator has been designed to demonstrate the advanced abilities of the HeliCOAT Weapon Suite for Combat Helicopters, which will be promoted at the Air Show at RAFAEL's booth in the Israeli Pavilion. Visitors to the booth will be invited to step into the helicopter's "cockpit" and experience first-hand, the benefits of the HeliCOAT suite.

RAFAEL's new simulator will allow the prospective customer to operate a variety of HeliCOAT's subsystems, which include multi-purpose missiles, an observation and targeting system, self protection (EW) and navigation systems and a helmet mounted display (HMD), in order to get the feeling of how those subsystems work together to provide a complete weapon package for combat helicopters.

As part of the experience, visitors will be able to "launch" a SPIKE-ER, electro-optic, Fire & Forget…PLUS missile and see how the PLUS capabilities of attacking hidden targets, avoiding friendly fire casualties, updating aimpoint to achieve surgical precision and receiving real-time intelligence from the battle field unite together to destroy a wide variety of targets.

Other simulation activities include advanced CCD/FLIR target observation and acquisition using the Toplite System and a 3D Digital Moving Map provides mission preparation and navigation capabilities.

Within the "cockpit", the visitors can don HeliCOAT's HMD, produced by Elbit Systems, and actually see flight and simulation data. They will also be able view a mock-up of HeliCOAT's Self-Defense EW System which is designed to identify enemy threats to the helicopter and deflect them by dispensing chaff and flares or by Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM). All these simulation activities are controlled by a comprehensive mission management computer.

• Spike ER Missiles and Launcher
• TOPLITE Observation System
• Self-Protection & EW System
• Helmet Mounted Sight (HMS)/Night Flight Capability
• Modified Cockpit
• Navigation Moving Map
• MFCD
• Pilot's Monitor
• Right and Left Handgrips