Defense Technology International - September 2007 - (Page 45) Rafael’s Spike family is a leader among anti-armor weapons worldwide. Spike has found a wide range of customers outside Israel, mainly in Europe, but also Chile and Singapore. European users are believed to include the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. The Spike/Eurospike family covers ranges between 200 and 8,000 meters in three versions: Spike-MR, LR and ER. The manufacturer claims these systems have features that make them especially suitable for the modern battlefield and military operations in urban terrain. These include sophisticated electro-optic CCD and/or imaging IR sensors for operations day or night and in adverse weather conditions, and a tandem warhead. Their lofted trajectories enable the warhead to hit a target with pinpoint precision. Spike-MR (also known as Gill) has a range of 2,500 meters and is typically used RHEINMETALL European Modular Missile is being designed to succeed weapons like Hellfire. by infantry and special forces. Spike-LR has a range of 4,000 meters and is typically used also on infantry fighting vehicles or small patrol craft. The MR and LR versions each weigh 13 kg. (28.6 lb.) and have shelf lives of 20 years, according to the manufacturer. Spike-ER has a range of 8,000 meters, and can be carried by helicopters and fast patrol boats. The Spike family features a dual operation mode: fire-and-forget or fire-observeupdate (this last with a fiber-optic wire link). These modes enable the operator to update or switch targets after launch, achieve realtime intelligence and perform battle damage assessment. In October 2006, Rafael demonstrated the integrated operational capabilities of its Spike-LR multipurpose missile system, Tycoon tactical C4I system and SkyLite B mini-UAV. With Spike teams spread around the area, SkyLite B acquired the target, extracted coordinates and transferred them to the Tycoon. The tactical system relayed the coordinates to the Spike firing post, where the operator locked on the target and simulated missile fire. The operation was then reversed. SkyLite B received target coordinates from the Spike operator via the Tycoon and did battle-damage assessment after the target was “destroyed.” Ceramic Body Armor Plates Ceradyne’s rugged multi-hit body armor plates are the leading ceramic inserts currently being used by all operational forces. They depend on the proven performance of Ceradyne upgrade plate technology for ballistic protection. Advance lifesaving technology Lighter Weight Visit Ceradyne at DSEI Booth 2049 Increased Survivability Side Plate Protection Corporate Office Tel: (714) 549-0421 kmoeller@ceradyne.com Armor Operations/Washington Tel: (703) 518-0618 mking@ceradyne.com www.ceradyne.com ti www.aviationweek.com/dti SEPTEMBER 2007 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 45 Page PB 3/5/07 Ceradyne, Inc. 2:43 PM Defense Technology International, 1/2pg. horizontal 433346265 CMYK � http://www.ceradyne.com http://www.ceradyne.com http://www.aviationweek.com/dti
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