The Spanish government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s is one of the most anti-Israeli in the EU, and this was demonstrated in June 2025, when the Ministry of Defense in Madrid suspended a €285 million deal to procure Spike LR2 anti-tank missiles from Rafael Advance Defense Systems as a protest against the war in Gaza. This meant Spain needed advanced missiles from elsewhere, so it turned to EuroSpike.
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Rafael owns 20% of the European company, with German companies Rheinmetall and Diehl, which each hold 40%. This company produces MELLS, the European variant of the Spike LR2, through which the Spaniards will also be able to use the Spike LR missiles that they have been operating for 17 years. The Sánchez government justified the deal by saying that the components of MELLS are manufactured in Europe.
The deal was first struck in October 2023, when the Spanish Ministry of Defense reached an agreement with Pap Tecnos, a subsidiary of Rafael in Spain, to purchase the Spike LR 2 missiles. The deal included 168 launchers, 1,680 missiles and full logistical support. When the decision was made to “suspend the agreement” there was an expectation that US giants Raytheon and Lockheed Martin would benefit from the anti-Israel policy through the sale of Javelin missiles, but Madrid is targeting MELLS, which is the same missile in a different guise.
The Spike series includes a wide range of models, adapted to different ranges and diverse platforms. The lightest model, Tact (Spike SR), weighs about 10 kilograms, is carried on the shoulder and is designed for ranges of up to 2 kilometers. At the other end of the spectrum, is the Spike NLOS known as Tammuz, which weighs about 71 kilograms, can hit a target up to 32 kilometers away, and can be launched from land, air and sea platforms. The biggest demand worldwide is for the Spike LR models (with a range of 4 kilometers) and the Spike LR2, with a range of 5.5 kilometers from the ground and 10 kilometers from the air.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on February 16, 2026.
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