Eurosatory 2012 : Rafael Introduces Mini Spike System

Rafael has used the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris to showcase its man-portable, multi-purpose Mini Spike missile system, which is currently under development for the Israel Defence Force (IDF).


The missile builds on the technology featured in other members of the Spike family and can be fired from a dedicated Miniaturised Control Launch Unit (MICLU) or from current Spike launchers.

The 4kg missile has a range of 1,500m and can be employed either in fire and forget mode or fire and observe.


A company spokesman explained that the wireless RF communication link allowed the operator to update the aim point, if desired, during missile flight.


‘The operator can choose to use the missile in fire-and-forget mode or through the RF datalink they can fire it and change the target point in flight. They can also choose between a medium, low or high trajectory,’ the spokesman said.

The missile has been chosen by the IDF to fill a current gap at the platoon level to organically engage targets at 1,000m to 1,200m.


While unable to provide specifics on the current status of the project, the spokesman noted that the ‘full scale development’ was now beyond the critical design phase.


He demonstrated how a lofted missile trajectory allowed a steep angle of attack to engage targets that may be hidden behind a building or obstacle.

A crew of two soldiers can carry six missiles, MICLU launcher and accessories, with the launcher supporting day, night and training modes. The weight of the MICLU with missile is around 8kg. The warhead can be either blast-fragmentation or an anti-armour shaped charge.