Tel Aviv: The war in Ukraine has increased the interest in the Rafael’s Ice Breaker missile. Rafael had released first details on this unique weapon system in 2022.
“As we approach full-scale development, we’ve engaged in discussions with potential customers on three continents, although specific contract details and customer identities remain confidential. Optimised for deep-strike arenas, the Ice Breaker system underscores our commitment to delivering cutting-edge capabilities for strategic defence,” the spokesperson of the Israeli company Rafael said.
The unveiling of the 5th generation long-range, autonomous precision-guided cruise missile came one year after the introduction of the Sea Breaker, which is designed for launch from land and ships. According to Rafael, the Ice Breaker is an aerial force-multiplier designed to overcome modern warfare arena challenges through Rafael’s legacy of high-end precision-guided solutions.
The company says that Ice Breaker is resilient to electronic countermeasure and is fully operational in GNSS-denied arenas. Rafael in an official announcement said that the Ice Breaker provides surgical, pinpoint precision strike capabilities from standoff ranges up to 300 km. The cruise missile features an advanced IIR (Imaging Infra-Red) seeker, ideal for stationary or moving land and maritime target engagement in advanced Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) arenas.
According to the official release, Ice Breaker is compatible with various aerial platforms including, jet fighters, light aircraft, helicopters, and is fully operational across all weather conditions. The missile’s datalink supports real-time man-in-the-loop decision-making and tactical updates, with mid-flight abort and Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) capabilities. The missile was developed, employing Rafael’s unique combat proven artificial intelligence technology, deep-learning and big data based scene-matching, enabling Automatic Target Acquisition (ATA) and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR).
As per Rafael, the missile flies at high subsonic speeds, and has a multi-directional, synchronised full sphere attack capability based on predefined attack plans and according to waypoints, azimuth, impact angle and aim point selection. This ensures high probability of mission success. The Ice Breaker is 4 meters long and weighs 770 lbs , including a 250 lb. penetration, blast and fragmentation warhead.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
