The war in Ukraine has intensified interest in Israeli company Rafael Development Authority's anti-tank Spike family missiles, including from Latin American countries, the ZM website reports. According to the report, 45 countries have procured more than 80,000 Spike missiles. A senior source at Rafael told ZM that Lithuania has also purchased Spike family missiles, which can be launched from platforms on land, sea and in the air.
According to foreign reports, the Spike LR and MR, for example, have the same launch station, which includes the command unit, the thermal sight and a tripod. The system is designed so that the missile can be launched in less than 30 seconds. One of the options of the system is "launch and forget", where the fighter launches the missile at the target, and the missile makes its way independently to the target.
One of Spike's new sources of interest is Argentina, which is considering the implementation of launchers as part of a modernization procedure for TAM VCTP tanks. This is just one layer of Buenos Aires' broad interest in Israeli systems, with a broader plan including the possibility of procuring second-hand helicopters from the US, and carrying out a significant upgrade of them in Israel.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 27, 2024.
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