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U.S. Defense Giant Lockheed Will Help Market Rafael’s SPICE Weapon Guidance System

Lockheed Martin and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have signed a memorandum of understanding to market Rafael’s Smart, Precise Impact and Cost-Effective (SPICE) stand-off weapon guidance kits, The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.

SPICE is an autonomous, air-to-surface weapon systems, capable of destroying targets with pinpoint accuracy and at high attack volumes in a GPS-deprived environment.

“SPICE is a leading air-to-surface weapon system offering U.S. and international air forces operating Lockheed Martin’s platforms, as well as strategic bomber aircraft, an important complement to their existing operational capabilities,” said Yuval Miller, Executive Vice President, Head of Rafael’s Air & C [4] ISR Division.

Miller continued: “SPICE’s unique features greatly enhance the U.S.’ ability to operate in contested environments. We are excited to engage in cooperation with Lockheed Martin to make SPICE available as a U.S.-made system, adapted to fully meet U.S. standards.”

Rafale and Lockheed will collaborate to adapt the system to U.S. standards, he added.

Combat-proven and deployed by the Israeli Air Force on its F-16C/D fighter jets since 2016, as well as other international clients, SPICE employs a state-of-the-art electro-optical seeker with unique scene-matching algorithms, navigation guidance and homing techniques to achieve operational missions in hostile environments without GPS signal. The technology is expected to be integrated onto Israel’s F-16I Soufa jets in the near future.

The MOU covers the SPICE 1000 and SPICE 2000. The Spice 1000 has a stand-off range of 100 kilometers while the Spice 2000 has a stand-off range of 60km.

“Lockheed Martin has a long history of successfully providing customers with missiles and missile systems that are affordable, proven and in production,” said Dan Norton, vice president of Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This partnership will allow us to share our precision guided system and aircraft integration expertise with allies that can benefit from the mission flexibility that the SPICE 1000 and SPICE 2000 offer.”

In May, IAF Major General Amikam Norkin said that Israel had carried out the world’s first F-35 airstrikes. “The ‘Adir’ aircraft are already operational and flying combat missions. In fact, we have performed the first operational F-35 strike in the world. We attacked twice in the Middle East using the F-35 – we are the first in the world to do so,” Norkin observed about the advanced fighter that Israel acquired from Lockheed Martin.

[Photo: RAFAELsystemLTD / YouTube ]