Tel Aviv: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will be participating in the upcoming Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition (October 4 – 6) in Brisbane, Australia. The Rafael systems being showcased offer the Australian Ministry of Defence enhanced capability in strengthening the Australian Armed Forces in regards to manoeuvrability, survivability and lethality. The TROPHY Active Protection System along with other technologies featured at this event are operational and have been combat-proven on the battlefield.
Rafael delivers state-of-the-art defence innovations to Australia through Varley Rafael Australia (VRA) — a joint venture between The Varley Group, Australia’s oldest defence enterprise, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. This joint venture supports regional supply chains through in-country Australian production & assembly while simultaneously bolstering the local economy through job creation.
Systems showcased include Rafael’s SPIKE Missile Family including LR2, NLOS, ER2, & SR configurations as well as SPIKE FIREFLY loitering munition. This family of systems provides tools to achieve success in a variety of missions. Another system in focus is the TROPHY APS which is the world’s only active protection system that has saved lives on the battlefield. This advanced system is in use on the US Abrams Main Battle Tanks and can be integrated onto any armoured fighting vehicle.
Carrying over 70 years of ground-breaking work in the world of defence technology, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems continues its legacy of developing the latest technological advancements while bringing new systems & solutions to fruition.
Systems in focus:
Spike NLOS: SPIKE NLOS (Non-Line-Of-Sight) is a 6th Generation electro-optically guided multipurpose missile for ranges of up to 50 km with pinpoint accuracy and midcourse navigation. The weapon system can be launched from land, air, and naval platforms. Equipped with a variety of warheads, a wireless data link to the missile, unique advantages of hitting non-line of sight (NLOS) targets, and the ability to switch between targets and abort missions — SPIKE NLOS can be operated in both offensive and defensive scenarios. In addition to attacking hidden targets, SPIKE NLOS can provide real-time tactical intelligence and damage assessment. Spike NLOS is designed to be integrated into the modern battle arena and can receive target location from an embedded TAS system, external sensors, C4I centre, or UAVs.
Spike LR2: Ready to fire in seconds, this variation of SPIKE delivers a maximum range of 5.5 km with pinpoint precision. SPIKE LR2 features multiple operational modes including fire & forget, fire & observe, and fire to target coordinates. Additionally, this system’s reduced weight allows one soldier to carry two rounds.
Spike ER2: With a maximum range of 10 – 16 km, this SPIKE configuration shares full commonality with all other SPIKE launchers (air, ground, sea). This configuration, similar to SPIKE LR2, supports multiple operational modes: fire & forget, fire & observe, and fire to target coordinates. SPIKE ER2 is also fully immune to RF and GPS signal jamming.
Spike SR: This shoulder-launched “fire & forget” short-range configuration of SPIKE provides a 2 km maximum range. SPIKE SR is specially designed for manoeuvring infantry and can be launched by a single operator. Likewise, this system is built for combat scenarios with a rugged, lightweight design, that doesn’t require any maintenance and is completely disposable.
Spike Firefly: Using innovative battle-ready technology, this miniature loitering munition serves to both heighten situational awareness in urban combat while also providing lethal Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) attacks with a maximum range of 1500 meters. This lightweight solution has a low visual and acoustic signature, making it a powerful tool for battlefield reconnaissance all while also enabling strikes on hostile forces from afar.
TROPHY APS: As the world’s only operational, combat-proven active protection system for armoured fighting vehicles, TROPHY APS detects, classifies, and engages incoming threats and delivers unmatched survivability and manoeuvrability for all vehicle classes. TROPHY creates a neutralization bubble around the vehicle. It rapidly detects, classifies, and engages all known chemical energy (CE) threats – including recoilless rifles, ATGMs, AT rockets, HEAT tank rounds, and RPGs. It increases the lethality of combat forces, successfully neutralizing the enemy’s anti-tank teams. It can locate the fire source, enabling the crew to return fire effectively using the platform’s armament, or by interfacing with other fighting platforms via the BMS network. It can be deployed on any AFV including main battle tanks (MBTs), 8×8, and other medium-weight platforms. Since becoming operational in 2011, TROPHY APS has reshaped the battlefield, enabling an unprecedented level of survivability with over 5,300 live fire events and 1 million operational hours. It was selected by the German Army for the Leopard 2 MBT, and by the British Army for the latest Challenger 3 tanks.
