Solar Energy News  
Spanish Government Signed Acquisition Contract For Spike-ER Missiles

The SPIKE-ER, 4th Generation Multi-Purpose Missile for Helicopters, is equipped with a fiber-optic bi-directional data link that allows the gunner to watch the video taken by the missile seeker before and in-flight.
by Staff Writers
Madrid, Spain (SPX) Dec 13, 2007
The Spanish Government has released the following announcement: "Cabinet Meeting summary of the Spanish Government of the 30/11/2007 AGREEMENT that authorize the signature of the acquisition contract for the Spike-ER Air-Land missiles systems for the Tiger helicopter by a global amount of 44.027.963 Euro, to distribute among the exercises 2007-2012."

The GD Santa Barbara and Rafael deal is a follow up on last year's contract signed by the two companies for the supply of Spike Missiles to the ground forces.

The SPIKE-ER, 4th Generation Multi-Purpose Missile for Helicopters, is equipped with a fiber-optic bi-directional data link that allows the gunner to watch the video taken by the missile seeker before and in-flight. The gunner is also able to steer the missile using that video. It is as if the gunner is riding the missile to the target.

The SPIKE-ER has the following unique capabilities:

- Very high hit probability at all ranges (400m up to 8000m) - The probability that the missile will hit a non-target area or will miss the target by short distance and will hurt innocent people is very low. Fighting in urban terrain, the enemy tanks or targets might be inside a town. Using the SPIKE-ER ensures that only the enemy target would take the hit.

- Extremely high accuracy (very small CEP) - It's not just that the missile hits the target it should, but it hits precisely where the gunner wants the missile to hit. For example, if the target is a room from which terrorists are firing, the SPIKE-ER would hit precisely where needed, therefore nearly eliminating the risk of hitting another room.

- PBF - Recently developed, the PBF (Penetration, Blast and Fragmentation) version of the SPIKE-ER penetrates the target and only then explodes. Thus, the collateral damage outside the target is minimized even more. Following the scenario discussed above, the missile penetrates the wall while reducing the risk to innocent bystanders to a minimum.

- Abort mission after launch- While in the air, the missile transmits the video image through the fiber optic link to the gunner. When the missile approaches the target, the image gets clearer. At that stage, the gunner might realize that the target he is aiming at is not a legitimate target. In that case, he may steer the missile to an empty point causing no damage.

Related Links
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Lockheed Martin-built Trident II D5 Missile Achieves Record 120 Successful Test Launches In A Row
Silverdale WA (SPX) Nov 30, 2007
The U.S. Navy conducted a successful test launch today of a Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) built by Lockheed Martin. The Navy launched the unarmed missile from the submerged submarine USS HENRY M JACKSON (SSBN 730) in the Pacific Ocean. The Trident II D5 missile now has achieved 120 consecutive successful test launches since 1989 - a record unmatched by any other large ballistic missile or space launch vehicle.







  • France to supply nuclear reactors to Libya: presidency
  • Bulgaria hails EU green light for nuclear plant
  • IAEA chief to visit uranium enriching plant in Brazil
  • Investors covet Canadian nuclear energy market

  • After centuries of keeping water out, the Dutch now letting it in
  • NASA Satellites Help Lift Cloud Of Uncertainty On Climate Change
  • New Study Increases Concerns About Climate Model Reliability
  • New Tibetan Ice Cores Missing A-Bomb Blast Markers Suggests Himalayan Ice Fields Haven't Grown In Last 50 Years

  • Grim harvest for Australian farmers
  • Adopting New Technology In The Burdekin
  • Researchers Build New Model Of Bio-Exploration In Central Asia
  • Building Disease-Beating Wheat

  • Threatened Birds May Be Rarer Than Geographic Range Maps Suggest
  • Massive Dinosaur Discovered In Antarctica Sheds Light On Life, Distribution Of Sauropodomorphs
  • World's Most Endangered Gorilla Fights Back
  • New, Rare And Threatened Species Discovered In Ghana

  • NASA Selects Prime Contractor For Ares I Rocket Avionics
  • ATK Test Fires Liquid Oxygen-Methane Rocket Engine In Vacuum
  • Russian Carrier Rocket Proton Puts Military Satellite Into Orbit
  • Aerojet Develops Innovative Reaction Control Engine Technology

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • Outside View: Russia's new sats -- Part 2
  • Use Space Technology And IT For Rural Development
  • China, Brazil give Africa free satellite land images
  • Ministerial Summit On Global Earth Observation System Of Systems

  • Russia And France Developing New Satellite Platform
  • Light Is Shed On New Fibre's Potential To Change Technology
  • Major Physics Breakthrough In Understanding Supersolidity
  • MIT Creates New Oil-Repelling Material

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement