Israeli defense electronics company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has this week unveiled the L-SPIKE, a sub-category of the SPIKE precision guided tactical missile family.
The new system represents an expansion of capabilities in the field of loitering munitions. The L-SPIKE 4X is a new advanced electro-optical cruise missile with attack and cruise capabilities up to a range of 40 kilometers with rapid reach to maximum range in just 5 minutes. The missile brings advanced cruise and precision capabilities to the SPIKE family day and night, and the ability to hit targets from a long distance.
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From the moment of launch, after a swift flight to the target area, L-SPIKE 4X can cruise for about 25 minutes, allowing operators to attack at the right moment, from the most efferctive angles, and pinpoint the points of impact or cancel a mission in real time. The L-SPIKE 4X missile was developed and designed in advance as a high-speed jet missile with cruise and extended loitering capabilities, unlike other attack drones, which are usually characterized by slow flight, small payload, and high signature.
The L-SPIKE 4X missile will be offered with two main types of warheads: Tandem HEAT (dual anti-tank) to deal with tank and armored combat vehicle targets and a multi-purpose warhead for a wide range of tactical targets – a combination that allows the missile to be adapted to land, air and sea missions.
In addition, the L-SPIKE 1x is another loitering munition, which is an upgraded evolution of the Firefly. The L-SPIKE 1x was developed at Rafael, and is capable of operating in difficult terrain and conditions including GPS jamming, communication interference and extreme weather. The system’s main capabilities include an operational range of up to 5 kilometers, a weapon weight of 2.2 kilograms and an airtime of 15 minutes in armed mode or 30 minutes in surveillance mode. The ammunition is equipped with a warhead weighing 420 grams with a full 360-degree peripheral spray dispersion.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on November 20, 2025.
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