Aerospace & Defense Technology - August 2022 - 45

Application Briefs
Loitering Munition
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Haifa, Israel
972-73-3324710
www.rafael.co.il
R
afael Advanced Defense Systems and
its US subsidiary RSGS demonstrated
the SPIKE FIRELFY loitering munition at
the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment
2022 (also known as AEWE). AEWE
2022 is a collaborative venue under the
Maneuver Battle Lab of the Maneuver
Center of Excellence at Fort Benning. It is
the Army's primary venue for small unit
modernization, providing capability
developers, Cross Functional Teams
(CFTs), PEO's, the Army Science and Technology
(S&T) community, and industry a
repeatable, credible, rigorous operational
experiment supporting both concept and
materiel development. This year the
assessment included, in addition to US
Army, soldiers from the Netherlands Army
and the United Kingdom Army.
SPIKE FIRELFY is part of the SPIKE
Family of precision guided electrooptical
missile systems, a portable vertical
takeoff and landing (VTOL) miniature
tactical loitering munition designed for
ground organic precision strike for close
combat forces in any environment. The
FIRELFY munition includes an advanced
multispectral seeker with both uncooled
IR sensor, high-definition CMOS day
sensor, as well as a proximity sensor,
allowing the system to detect, identify,
track and home in on very agile targets.
In addition to the seeker the munition
includes an encrypted data link and a
lethal blast fragmentation warhead.
During the assessment over a two-day
period, seven infantry squads were qualified
in operation of the weapon system
using inert rounds and an embedded
trainer (simulation of operation as part of
the FIRELFY control unit). Following the
training, the squads participated in forceon-force
exercises within an urban area,
deploying the FIRELFY munitions in different
tactical scenarios to support infantry
squad maneuver while enhancing
both survivability, situational awareness,
and lethality.
The SPIKE FIRELFY was found to be a
disruptive product that allows the infanAerospace
& Defense Technology, August 2022
mobilityengineeringtech.com
45
try platoon a beyond line-of-sight engagement
capability, engaging the enemy
behind cover with no warning while
allowing the platoon leader to close its
own sensor-to-shooter cycles with no
need for external call for fire. The SPIKE
FIRELFY's unique feature of full returnability
up to arming of the munition
allowed the squads to send the munition
as a frontal robotic point-man, scanning
the streets and detecting/removing
threats from the path of the maneuvering
squads while calling the munition back to
the operator for another mission if targets
were not detected or engaged.
As part of the assessment, the operators
fired a live inert FIRELFY munition intercepting
an enemy sniper position in an
upper floor of a structure, simulating a
scenario in which the whole platoon is
under suppressive fire with the need to
detect and engage the threat while the
force is taking cover. The SPIKE FIRELFY
provided the soldiers with the capability
to engage a high-value target with pinpoint
accuracy while reducing risk to the
force and collateral damage.
For More Info Visit
http://www.rafael.co.il
http://www.rafael.co.il http://www.rafael.co.il http://info.hotims.com/82324-769 http://www.mobilityengineeringtech.com
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