Successful Firings from PROTECTOR RWS and Dismounted ICLU
The Slovenian armed forces test fired the Rafael SPIKE LR from an Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) last month, the Israeli company announced on 25 January.
The event included firings of both the SPIKE LR and 12.7mm machinegun from the Kongsberg PROTECTOR remote weapon station (RWS) on the JLTV platform, showcasing the enhanced capabilities of the SPIKE launcher as a force multiplier, enabling precision strike against armoured targets with improved precision at extended ranges and beyond-line-of-sight.
The Slovenian Army also used the new dismounted digital SPIKE launcher ICLU, as part of the ongoing transition in all SPIKE user nations to new digital NCW-ready launchers and to 5th-generation SPIKE LR2 missiles. PROTECTOR already includes a provision for the SPIKE LR2, which fetures improved engagement ranges of up to 5.5km, weight reduced to 13.4kg, enhanced lethality, advanced target recognition and tracking, and a new third-party network-enabled target allocation capability with an embedded inertial measurement unit.
In October 2018, the Slovenian MoD agreed the purchase of 38 JLTV, which the armed forces will receive early this year. This procurement supports fulfillment of NATO’s capability goals for the nation’s armed forces and greatly increases their interoperability with US and regional allies. All 38 vehicles will mount the PROTECTOR RWS.
Manufactured by EuroSpike (a joint venture of Rafael, Diehl and Rheinmetall), the SPIKE LR is part of the wider, multi-platform, multi-purpose, multi-range SPIKE family of electro-optically guided missiles.
For a video showing launches from both platforms, click here:
{source}<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/6ytCy__2C7E” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>{/source}
