The German army has ordered 200 new Puma armored personnel carriers (APC) equipped with MELLS systems, the European variant of Rafael’s Spike LR missiles.
The German army has ordered 200 new Puma armored personnel carriers (APC) equipped with MELLS systems, the European variant of Rafael’s Spike LR missiles. MELLS is manufactured by Eurospike, a joint venture between Rafael (20%) and the German companies Diehl and Rheinmetall, which each hold 40%. The platform of the new Pumas is designed to carry nine crew members and six additional soldiers.
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The Spike series includes a wide range of models, adapted to various ranges and platforms. The light tact model (Spike SR) weighs about 10 kilograms, is carried on a shoulder and is designed for ranges of up to 2 kilometers. At the other end of the spectrum is the NLOS Spike known as Tammuz, which weighs about 71 kilograms, is capable of hitting a target from a distance of up to 32 kilometers, and is launched from land, air or sea platforms. However, the highest demand worldwide is for the Spike LR models (for a range of 4 kilometers), and the Spike LR22, which is capable of reaching a range of 5.5 kilometers from the ground and 10 kilometers from the air. The advantage of integrating MELLS into the Puma platform is that the vehicle does not need to be visible to the enemy in order to hit it, a critical issue on the modern battlefield. The German General Staff’s broad armor strategy entails a wide-ranging and diverse firepower. In a world where FPV drones are becoming significant threats to armored forces, the relevance of the Spike family in general and the LR model in particular remains unchanged, because the ranges of the missiles are greater than those of the drones.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on January 1, 2026.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2026.
Illustration of the L-SPIKE 4X missile credit: Rafael Spokesperson
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