India approves ’emergency purchase’ of Israeli-made SPIKE Missiles

RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems says “no comment” on India reports to purchase 240 ATGMs and 12 launchers.

The Indian Army has approved the “emergency purchase” of 240 SPIKE anti-tank guided missiles made by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense System to meet immediate operational requirements, Indian media has reported.

The decision to procure the 240 SPIKE MR (ATGM) and 12 launchers was reportedly taken during the five-day biannual Army Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi that ended on April 13, IHS Jane’s quoted official sources as saying.

According to the report in Jane’s the system is being procured after the Indian Army vice chief of staff was given authority to purchase goods and material worth up to $72 million under an emergency purchase provision without having to get prior approval from the Ministry of Defense.

Rafael had no comment on the reports.

India’s Financial Times reported that the move comes after the Indian Army was given the green light to purchase the Israeli ATGMs following  the February 2019 military standoff between India and Pakistan following airstrikes in Balakot.

The Indian Air Force struck at terrorists based in Pakistan on February 26 using Israeli-developed SPICE kit for bombs, according to Indian media. According to Flight Global the Spice 1000 precision-guided bombs were to be supplied to India for 36 Dassault Rafales and along with Spice 250 which were to be used for India’s Tejas jets.

This was part of a larger evaluation by India of Rafael Advanced Defense systems, including its Python 5, I-Derby ER air to air missiles. And Litening 5 targeting pod. India was also exploring Rafael’s BNET secure radio solutions.

Israel has been supplying India with various weapons systems, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles over the last few years. Until recently most of the transactions have been kept quiet, but ties have quietly shifted and the east-Asian country has become one of Israel’s largest buyer of military hardware with annual defense deals worth over $1 billion.

In December 2017 New Delhi scrapped a 2011 $500 million deal with Rafael to purchase 8,000 Spike missiles and over 300 launchers due to a dispute between the Defense Ministry and India’s Defense Research and Development Organization.

The SPIKE missile, capable of penetrating 39 inches of armor can be operated in either“direct attack or mid-course navigation based on target coordinates only. These modes enable defeat of long-range hidden targets, with pinpoint precision, damage assessment and the obtaining of real-time intelligence.

The missile, which can be fired from vehicles, helicopters, ships and ground launchers, has advanced electro-optic seekers which includes capabilities of a smart target tracker with artificial intelligence features.

Rafael has three missiles in the Spike family, Spike NLOS, Spike ER, Spike MR/LR and Spike SR and has supplied over 27,000 SPIKE Missiles and systems to over 26 countries, including to the Philippines, Lithuania, Australia and India, where they are used by armies on various naval and land system platforms.