Indian Army Spike Anti Tank Guided Missile Boost to Infantry Regiments

[WolfPack86]

Description
The Spike Family consists of missiles suited for several platforms, multiple ranges and a variety of targets. The Spike missile system is manufactured and marketed by the Israeli Company Rafael. Spike is a fourth generation man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile with tandem-charged HEAT warhead. The Spike missile can be also used on ship. SPIKE-ER Missile will be operated from dedicated station remotely and both operators (Boat navigator/steerer and missile operator) will be able to coordinate their action optimally – visual and hearing contact available. The SPIKE-ER can be installed in the AH-1S Cobra, Agusta A-129, MD-500 Defenders, Gazelle, Mi-24 Hind and many more aircraft or helicopter. All of the Spike Family members have a low Life Cycle Cost, due to high reliability and operational, logistic support and production commonality between members.

Variants
- SPIKE-MR (Gill): Light missile system for infantry and Special Forces soldiers
- SPIKE-LR: missile system to be fitted on armoured vehicle
- SPIKE-ER: stand-alone anti-armor weapon system
- SPIKE NLOS: an electro-optically guided missile for ranges of up to 25 km with pinpoint accuracy and midcourse navigation.

Technical Data Back to top
Firing and sight system
The Spike system is made up of the launching tripod with its fire control unit, thermal imaging sight 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 26 kg. Spike can be operated from the launcher by infantry, or from mounts that can be fitted to vehicles such as fast attack vehicles, armored personnel carriers or utility vehicles. Vehicles that are not normally fitted with anti-tank weapons can therefore be given anti-tank capability.The missiles in this family have sophisticated electro-optic CCD or IR sensors for operation day and night and in adverse weather conditions and a tandem warhead. Their lofted trajectories enable the warhead to hit the target at its most vulnerable part with pinpoint precision.

Missile
The missile uses a tandem warhead - two shaped charges, a precursor warhead to detonate any explosive reactive armor and a primary warhead to penetrate the underlying armor. 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.
Accessories
The SPIKE-Missiles can be fired from fighting Vehicles by using a Launching Arm or a Vehicle Mounted Launching System (VMLS). The Launching Arm is a special optional mounting arm that is installed on the vehicle instead of a Tripod. It is equipped with a Pan and Tilt mechanism (as the Tripod), enabling Missile targeting in azimuth and elevation. SPIKE Missiles can also be fired from within a fighting vehicle using RAFAEL designed VMLS. The VMLS, which replaces the whole Firing Post requires adaptation to the specific vehicle turret.
Combat use
As well as engaging and destroying targets within the line-of-sight of the launcher ("fire-and-forget"), some variants of the missile are capable of making a top-attack profile through a "fire, observe and update" guidance 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. The system is made ready to fire in less than 30 seconds. The soldier acquires the target and lays the crosshairs of the sight on the aim point on the target using either the day sight with a 10× magnification and 5° field of view or the clip-on thermal imaging night sight with wide and narrow fields of view.
Specifications Back to top
Missile

Single missile with Tandem-charge HEAT warhead
Country user
Azerbaijan, Chile, czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, and Turkey.
Designer Country
Israel
Accessories
electro-optic CCD or IR sensors for operation day and night.
Operator
1 or 2
Armor
Can penetrated more than 700 mm of armour
Weight
Missile in canister: 13.5 kg
Launcher: 13 kg
a
a
Rate of fire
Ready to launch in 30 seconds, reload in 15 seconds
Range
800 m to 2.5 km
a
Dimensions missile
Length, 1,67 m; Diameter, 1,7 m

 

[WolfPack86]

Spike Anti Tank Guided Missile

 

[WolfPack86]

Spike Anti Tank Guided Missile

 

[Kshatriya87]

Has the IA placed a new purchase order for these?

 

[WolfPack86]

Mini-Spike Anti-Personnel Guided Weapon

 

[WolfPack86]

At the exhibition held alongside the 3rd land warfare conference held at Latrun Sept 2, 2009 Israel's Directorate for Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) provided a glimpse into some of the new and exciting programs currently underway with participating industries. Among these were the mini-Spike missile system, the smallest member of Rafael's electro-optically guided missiles. Mini-Spike is the first implementation of an anti-personnel precision attack, wireless guided missile, designed for operation at the company and platoon level.

This man-portable missile system weighs about 12 kg, and comprises of a command and launch unit facilitating target acquisition and wireless control for the missile, weighing 4 kg and missiles stored in a canister-launcher, weighing 4 kg each. Typically a soldier will carry the CLU and two missiles with other members of the unit carrying spare missiles.

The imaging sensor is located in the transparent bubble in the forward section (the ind tunnel model above does not show the transparent cap), ahead of the electronics section, guidance systems and servos, warhead and rocket motor all packed into the small missile tube.
The Mini-Spike can be operated with its integral command launch unit or with existing Spike family launchers, utilizing the CLU, tripod and launcher assemblies. The missile can be fired at targets at ranges of 1,200 meters and can be set to approach the target in a low, medium or high angle of attack, enabling effective engagement of concealed targets. Furthermore, the warhead can be deactivated in-flight, offering the user to pursue a 'low collateral damage' precision attack employing kinetic only, rather than kinetic-explosive effect, when low-signature effect is required or to eliminate the risk of hitting no-combatants.

The CLU can be used stand-alone for observation and target acquisition. It features a number of useful operating modes, including video recording and playback. (below)
https://defense-update.com/photos/mini_spike.html

 

[WolfPack86]

Israeli SPIKE MISSILE FAMILY

 

[WolfPack86]

SPIKE SR (Short Range) Missile

 

[WolfPack86]

Spike different family missiles

 

[WolfPack86]

Spike Anti Guided Missiles

 

[WolfPack86]

Israeli RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems has commenced deliveries of 8,356 Spike-SR shoulder-fired ATGMs to the Indian Armed forces

 

[WolfPack86]

In another development, RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems has commenced deliveries of 8,356Spike-SR shoulder-fired ATGMs to the Indian Army’s SF (Para), Navy’s MARCOS and the IAF’s Garud SOF formations. Originally fitted with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead to defeat armoured vehicles equipped with explosive reactive armour, the Spike-SR now comes with a new penetration blast-fragmentation warhead with a delay function. This has been designed for use in urban operations, with the high-explosive fragmentation warhead penetrating the bunker or structure before detonating with lethal blast effect. The standard Spike-SR had a maximum range of 1km, but this has since been increased to 1.5km to provide the operator with greater standoff capability. The Spike-SR weighs only 9.8kg, and the missile is fitted with an uncooled imaging infra-red seeker and auto-tracker, and thus operates in the fire-and-forget mode. Once fired, the launcher and its associated day sighting system are discarded.

 

[WolfPack86]

(Tamir Eshel, Defense-Update)

In the late 1990s RAFAEL evaluated the development of a short range anti-tank weapon to replace the M47 Dragon. The weapon's preliminary designation was Spike SR, reflecting the association to the Spike multi-purpose missile family. Spike SR was defined as a personal, lightweight (9kg) anti-armor, fire and forget missile. It was planned to be optimized for operation at short ranges of 50 - 800 meters. Among the specifications was capability to operate from confined spaces, therefore enabling the operators to take firing positions in bunkers, buildings etc. - an essential capability for urban warfare. Spike SR was planned to be fitted with a tandem warhead, designed to defeat heavy armor. At present (2006), reflecting the changing requirements for solutions for low-intensity warfare in urban environment, RAFAEL is focusing its developmental activity in the heavier versions of the Spike family.
(Defense-Update, 2006)

Rafael is expanding the Spike missile family with the lightweight, man-portable Spike SR, a ‘fire and forget’ short range guided missile enabling infantrymen to engage a wide range of targets with high precision, from ranges up to 800 meters. Spike SR is positioned between the Spike MR (medium-range) weapon and the unguided Matador multipurpose rocket, offering the advantages of both weapons for infantry-relevant ranges, at a full system weight of less than 10 kg... RAFAEL has completed the program’s feasibility testing and is now seeking international customers and partners to pursue full-scale development. The company positions the new weapon at a level well above RAFAEL’s own Matador rocket system, Talley SMAW or SAAB AT4, as well as the SAAB MBT LAW. According to Rafael, despite the much improved precision, performance and probability of kill, Spike SR will be slightly more expensive than those other unguided rockets.
(Defense-Update, 2012)

Rafael Advanced Defence Systems has introduced a new penetration blast fragmentation (PBF) warhead variant for its Spike SR (short-range) shoulder-launched precision-guided munition to equip manoeuvring forces in urban environments with a tactical anti-structure capability. Spike SR is a platoon-level fire-and-forget, disposable munition - weighing 9.8 kg (launcher and munition) - incorporating a Rafael-designed stiff-necked un-cooled electro-optical (EO) infrared (IR) seeker and advanced tracker (as opposed to the gimballed seeker in the Spike MR/LR/ER systems). The baseline Spike SR configuration features a tandem high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead designed to hit static and moving armoured targets at relevant engagement ranges for a platoon - with minimum engagement of main battle tanks at ranges given as 50 m... The original given range for Spike SR was 1,000 m, but Rafael is now declaring a maximum range of 1.5 km. "When we began development of Spike SR, the objective was for a maximum range of 800 m, although we understood at the time that the inherent capability in the system would allow us to declare a range of 1,000 m," said Levy.
(Janes, 2016)

http://bukvoed.livejournal.com/320812.html

 

[ezsasa]

In another development, RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems has commenced deliveries of 8,356Spike-SR shoulder-fired ATGMs to the Indian Army’s SF (Para), Navy’s MARCOS and the IAF’s Garud SOF formations. Originally fitted with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead to defeat armoured vehicles equipped with explosive reactive armour, the Spike-SR now comes with a new penetration blast-fragmentation warhead with a delay function. This has been designed for use in urban operations, with the high-explosive fragmentation warhead penetrating the bunker or structure before detonating with lethal blast effect. The standard Spike-SR had a maximum range of 1km, but this has since been increased to 1.5km to provide the operator with greater standoff capability. The Spike-SR weighs only 9.8kg, and the missile is fitted with an uncooled imaging infra-red seeker and auto-tracker, and thus operates in the fire-and-forget mode. Once fired, the launcher and its associated day sighting system are discarded.

Somehow I had an opinion that the spike deal was for their regular ATGM(4km range), with SPIKE-SR The intent is purely for urban combat isn't it?

Just curious was there any news article that the deal was for SR?

Is it even possible to sneak up within 1.5 KM of a tank(excluding urban combat scenario)?

Does this mean IA is updating themselves on urban combat?

 

[indiatester]

Somehow I had an opinion that the spike deal was for their regular ATGM(4km range), with SPIKE-SR The intent is purely for urban combat isn't it?

Just curious was there any news article that the deal was for SR?

Is it even possible to sneak up within 1.5 KM of a tank(excluding urban combat scenario)?

Does this mean IA is updating themselves on urban combat?

OR
Is the primary target any bunkers that the special forces want to neutralize behind the lines?

 

[HariPrasad-1]

So we have milan, spike, kornet and what else?? Mini nag, Nag and Helina is also coming.

 

[hardip]

M waiting forrrrr.. se this lethal weapon in indian army/airforce/navy solger

are kab tak ayega bhai????

 

[WolfPack86]

India to buy Spike anti-tank missiles from Rafael
NEW DELHI — India is moving forward with a $1 billion purchase of Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, overlooking the single-vendor situation in the deal, according to an Indian Ministry of Defence official.

The MoD postponed the purchase because it would be made with a single vendor, which has been discouraged multiple times under India's defense procurement policy,according to news organization IHS Jane's 360.

Apart from the single-vendor situation, the Spike deal since 2014 has also been deferred over costs, which has now been cleared, the MoD official said.

"MoD has now forwarded the deal to the Cabinet Committee of Security, which is likely to clear the same (deal) this week" on March 29, the official said. "The deal could then be signed after next month."

The Cabinet Committee of Security, which is headed by the prime minister and which deals with weapons purchases, is the highest body in the Indian government
The push to buy the Spike comes ahead of a proposed visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in June this year.

Under the deal, the Indian Army will procure 321 Spike ATGM launchers, 8,356 missiles, 15 training simulators and associated accessories from Rafael on a single-vendor basis.

"The single-vendor situation has arisen as the other option, American Javelin, was found to be too expensive and has been accepted as a fait accompli keeping in view the needs of the Indian Army for third-generation ATGM," said Rahul Bhonsle, a defense analyst and retired Indian Army brigadier.

The deal also includes an option to build another 1,500 launcher systems and about 30,000 additional missiles under technology transfer to state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited. The first delivery of the Spike ATGM is likely to being 58 to 60 months after the deal is signed.

The Army currently faces a shortage of ATGMs and has a total requirement of 40,000 ATGMs in the next 20 years. In the meantime, it is using second-generation Milan missiles (with a 2-kilometer range) and Konkurs missiles (with a 4-kilometer range) produced by BDL under license from French and Russian companies, respectively.

"For long, Indian Army and aviation has been held hostage to old-generation ATGMs mostly procured from Russia and Europe. These ATGMs are fully wire-guided ATGMs. Even Spike is not a fully fire-and-forget missile, as there is wire guidance in Spike," an Indian Army official said.

Making a case for global competition for the purchase of a new-generation ATGM, the Army official said: "The Army should prepare operational qualitative requirements for ATGMs and open up the case for multi-vendor competition under a Buy & Make (India) category and commitment for transfer of technology."

The Indian Army wants to equip all its 382 infantry battalions and 44 mechanized infantry units with new-generation ATGMs and replace the second-generation French-made Milan ATGMs.

The purchase of the third-generation ATGMs is in addition to the homegrown Nag ATGM still under development. An ongoing proposal to jointly produce American Javelin ATGMs has been under consideration for more than three years and is now awaiting fresh negotiations under the Trump administration, according to the MoD official.
http://www.defensenews.com/articles/india-to-buy-spike-anti-tank-missiles-from-rafael

 

[captscooby81]

Wow even this small ATGM equipment will take 5 years to deliver .. Buy the time this will get delivered there will be a 4th generation ATGM will be in use by our adversary or there will be 5th Generation MBT .. Why are we really so procrastinating weapons modernisation .. Looks like the way these deals looks if a war breaks out in 2019-2020 it will be only the will power and the courage of our soldiers which can save us from a defeat not the equipment's they had been given to Fight...

India to buy Spike anti-tank missiles from Rafael
NEW DELHI — India is moving forward with a $1 billion purchase of Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, overlooking the single-vendor situation in the deal, according to an Indian Ministry of Defence official.

The MoD postponed the purchase because it would be made with a single vendor, which has been discouraged multiple times under India's defense procurement policy,according to news organization IHS Jane's 360.

Apart from the single-vendor situation, the Spike deal since 2014 has also been deferred over costs, which has now been cleared, the MoD official said.

"MoD has now forwarded the deal to the Cabinet Committee of Security, which is likely to clear the same (deal) this week" on March 29, the official said. "The deal could then be signed after next month."

The Cabinet Committee of Security, which is headed by the prime minister and which deals with weapons purchases, is the highest body in the Indian government
The push to buy the Spike comes ahead of a proposed visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in June this year.

Under the deal, the Indian Army will procure 321 Spike ATGM launchers, 8,356 missiles, 15 training simulators and associated accessories from Rafael on a single-vendor basis.

"The single-vendor situation has arisen as the other option, American Javelin, was found to be too expensive and has been accepted as a fait accompli keeping in view the needs of the Indian Army for third-generation ATGM," said Rahul Bhonsle, a defense analyst and retired Indian Army brigadier.

The deal also includes an option to build another 1,500 launcher systems and about 30,000 additional missiles under technology transfer to state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited. The first delivery of the Spike ATGM is likely to being 58 to 60 months after the deal is signed.

The Army currently faces a shortage of ATGMs and has a total requirement of 40,000 ATGMs in the next 20 years. In the meantime, it is using second-generation Milan missiles (with a 2-kilometer range) and Konkurs missiles (with a 4-kilometer range) produced by BDL under license from French and Russian companies, respectively.

"For long, Indian Army and aviation has been held hostage to old-generation ATGMs mostly procured from Russia and Europe. These ATGMs are fully wire-guided ATGMs. Even Spike is not a fully fire-and-forget missile, as there is wire guidance in Spike," an Indian Army official said.

Making a case for global competition for the purchase of a new-generation ATGM, the Army official said: "The Army should prepare operational qualitative requirements for ATGMs and open up the case for multi-vendor competition under a Buy & Make (India) category and commitment for transfer of technology."

The Indian Army wants to equip all its 382 infantry battalions and 44 mechanized infantry units with new-generation ATGMs and replace the second-generation French-made Milan ATGMs.

The purchase of the third-generation ATGMs is in addition to the homegrown Nag ATGM still under development. An ongoing proposal to jointly produce American Javelin ATGMs has been under consideration for more than three years and is now awaiting fresh negotiations under the Trump administration, according to the MoD official.
http://www.defensenews.com/articles/india-to-buy-spike-anti-tank-missiles-from-rafael

 

[WolfPack86]

Modi's Upcoming Israel Visit: Strengthening Defence Cooperation
This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Indo-Israeli relations. This year would mark a historic event as Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Israel scheduled to take place in June. This visit is historic as it would be the first ever visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Israel. One of the integral components in strengthening bilateral relations is defense and military cooperation. And as Modi prepares for his Israel visit, strengthening defense cooperation would surely be an important agenda.
Ever since Modi came into power in 2014, India has been more outspoken about the burgeoning relations with Israel. Since the elections in May 2014 until November 2014, Israel exported $662 million worth Israeli defense equipment and weapon systems to India. Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon has also visited India in February 2015 followed by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Israel the same year. Later in November 2016, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin visited India. In all these visits, increasing defense cooperation was a major focus.
Defence Cooperation
India’s ‘Make in India’ agenda involves the strategy of concentrating on co-development and co-production as well as transfer of technology. Israel has been a supportive partner to strengthen India’s ‘Make in India’ agenda. India has made progress with the purchase of Spike anti-tank missiles which it chose over the US Javelin missiles. After much negotiation with Israel over pricing of the weapon system, India and Israel have agreed to cooperate and in May 2016, India reached an agreement to acquire 275 launchers and 5500 spike missiles from Israel. It has been decided that after the initial off the shelf of a humble number of missiles, India’s Bharat Dynamics Limited would produce the same at home for the two decades. Prior to this, the same year in February, India’s private firm Punj Lloyd Limited and Israeli Weapon Industries have agreed to collaborate on joint venture to develop small arms. Indian Army’s special forces already use the Israeli made 5.56 mm Tavor assault rifles that have greater capability in counter terrorism operations.
IDN INFO CORNER: BARAK-8 weighs around 270 kg, is 4.5-meter high and carries 60 kg of weapon payload. It has a speed of Mach 2. Apart from the missile, the system includes a Multi Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar (EL/M-2248 MF-STAR) for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile. Indian Navy had also successfully test launched the missile. Many Indian industries like BEL, L&T, BDL, and TATA group besides other private industries have contributed to the development of a number of subsystems which have been put to use in this missile. The BARAK-8 system will be inducted in all the three services after the trials are completed.
Missile Defence Cooperation
Israel also agreed to collaborate with India on missile defense cooperation to develop an integrated missile defense system. Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) and BEL agreed to co-develop a mobile radar system for the Prithvi Air Defense system. In 2015, India’s DRDO and Israel’s IAI has agreed to co-develop Long Range and Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MR-SAM) systems. India has already successfully test fired the Israeli Barak-8 surface to air missile system that has a range of 70 km and are capable of intercepting missiles that are targeted against sea-vessels.
Modi’s Visit To take the Cooperation Ahead
Modi is expected to ink a deal of $2.5billion to develop jointly MR-SAMs. Also in the pipeline are the plans to develop third generation Spike Anti-tank guided missiles, Spyder quick reaction SAM, and to acquire two additional Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control Systems. India has already deployed the Israeli made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for surveillance purpose, but also in 2016, to enhance its deep strike capability, India has signed a deal with Israel to acquire the HeronTP unmanned combat aerial vehicle that would be capable of launching guided munitions and tactical missiles.
Conclusion
India’s defense cooperation with Israel in the coming years will only grow from strength to strength. Both India’s private sector enterprises like the TATA Advanced Systems and Mahindra and Mahindra to name a few and public sector ones like the Hindustan Aeronautical Limited and Bharat Electrical Limited are actively cooperating with Israel to gather technological expertise from Israel in order to make India self-sufficient in its defense sector. For Israel, India is a big defense export destination as well as there is a scope for big business opportunities in the Indian defense market.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2017/04/modis-upcoming-israel-visit.html