New Delhi: Indian Air Force (IAF) received air-launched Israeli SPIKE Non Line of Sight (NLOS) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from Israel which can hit targets up to 50 km from a helicopter and 32 km from the ground. The NLOS missiles will be integrated with the fleet of Russian-origin Mi-17V5 helicopters, manufactured by Kazan Helicopters.
The missile was designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. It is available in various configurations, including man-portable, vehicle-launched, and helicopter-launched variants. The long and extended range versions of the SPIKE introduce the “Fire, Observe and Update” operating mode.
Air-launched SPIKE NLOS ATGMs are capable of executing precise strikes against ground targets from standoff distances. It demonstrates the ability to inflict significant damage to enemy tank regiments and effectively halt their advances.
It has the highest level of survivability due to stand-off range and passive guidance. The missile enables the handling of Anti-access/area denial (A2AD) targets.
