A Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter of the US Army has successfully fired a Rafael Spike NLOS long-range air-to-surface missile in the first European demonstration of the capability.
The successful firing was conducted by the army’s 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) at Poland’s Ustka range, says the 12th CAB.
“The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade made history by conducting a live fire of the Spike Non-Line of Sight missile system in Ustka, Poland,” it says.
“This event marked the first employment of the missile in the European theater, and a significant increase in 12th CAB and the US Army’s lethality and combat capability.”
Rafael, which provides Spike to the US Army in partnership with Lockheed Martin, says the campaign saw two Spike NLOS missiles launched, with both achieving direct hits on maritime targets at 14nm (26km).
This is well beyond the range of the Apache’s typical missile armament, the Lockheed AGM-114 Hellfire. Public information suggests the Hellfire’s maximum range is 7nm.
Observers from 10 NATO allies attended the activity, according to Rafael.
In December 2023, Lockheed and the US Army staged a five-day test campaign during which eight Spike NLOS weapons were launched against static and moving ground vehicles, along with a mock-up of a SA-22 surface-to-air missile site. Those engagements were made from between close range and more than 16nm, including at night.
The 2023 activity also included demonstrating the weapon’s ability to automatically strike an intended target after its launch aircraft intentionally lost its communication link with the weapon.
