Indian Air Force Gets Israeli Spike Missiles

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 upto 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.

Key features of Spike Non Line of Sight (NLOS) missiles:

It was designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
It is available in various configurations, including man-portable, vehicle-launched, and helicopter-launched variants.
Utilizes a fire-and-forget system with lock-on before launch and automatic self- guidance features.
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.
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.
It enables the handling of Anti-access/area denial (A2AD) targets

Increased production of missiles through “Make-in-India”:

A limited quantity of Spike NLOS ATGMs has been placed on order. There is intent to produce a more substantial amount of these missiles through the “Make-in-India” approach.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: