Rafael Superior Protection Methods and its US subsidiary RSGS demonstrated the SPIKE FIREFLY loitering munition on the Military Expeditionary Warrior Experiment 2022 (often known as AEWE). This yr the evaluation included along with US military Troopers from the Netherlands Military & the UK Military. AEWE 2022 is a collaborative venue underneath the Maneuver Battle Lab of the Maneuver Heart of Excellence at Fort Benning. It’s the Military’s major venue for Small Unit modernization, offering functionality builders, Cross-Useful Groups (CFTs), PEO’s, the Military Science and Know-how (S&T) group and trade a repeatable, credible, rigorous operational experiment supporting each idea and materiel improvement. SPIKE FIREFLY is a part of the SPIKE Household of precision guided electrooptical missile methods, a transportable vertical take-off and touchdown (VTOL) miniature tactical loitering munition designed for floor natural precision strike for shut fight forces in any setting.
Main Pete Guo, from the UK Infantry Trials and Growth Unit: “British Troopers from the Family Cavalry Regiment experimenting on AEWE discovered {that a} miniature loitering munition functionality, represented by FIREFLY, may allow platoons to ship results that they at present depend on larger echelons for.”
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LTG (Ret). Joe Anderson, President and CEO of Rafael Methods International Sustainment: “We have been drastically honored to current the superior SPIKE FIREFLY loitering munition system for evaluation by the AEWE staff. We realized lots from the train and acquired constructive suggestions from the US Military operators. We really imagine the SPIKE FIREFLY brings one other dimension to the infantry platoon’s city warfare functionality by permitting decisive and deadly overmatch. We might be presenting the SPIKE FIREFLY within the upcoming Fashionable Day Marines exhibition in Washington DC & in SOFIC 2022 exhibition in Tampa.”
The FIREFLY munition contains a sophisticated multispectral seeker with each uncooled IR sensor, high-definition CMOS day sensor in addition to a proximity sensor permitting the system to detect, determine, observe & residence on very agile targets. Along with the seeker the munition contains an encrypted information hyperlink and a deadly blast fragmentation warhead. In the course of the evaluation over a two-day interval seven infantry squads have been certified in operation of the weapon system utilizing inert rounds and an embedded coach (simulation of operation as a part of the FIREFLY management unit). Following the coaching the squads participated in force-on-force workout routines inside an city space deploying the FIREFLY munitions in several tactical situations to help infantry squad maneuver whereas enhancing each survivability, situational consciousness, and lethality.
The SPIKE FIREFLY was discovered to be a disruptive product that enables the infantry platoon a past line-of-sight engagement functionality partaking the enemy behind cowl with no warning whereas permitting the platoon chief to shut its personal sensor to shooter cycles without having for exterior name for fireplace. The SPIKE FIREFLY’s distinctive function of full returnability as much as arming of the munition allowed the squads to ship the munition as a frontal robotic point-man scanning the streets and detecting /eradicating threats from the trail of the maneuvering squads whereas calling the munition again to the operator for one more mission if targets weren’t detected or engaged. As a part of the evaluation the operators fired a dwell inert FIREFLY munition intercepting an enemy sniper place in an higher ground of a construction simulating a situation wherein the entire platoon is underneath suppressive fireplace with the necessity to detect and have interaction the risk whereas the drive is taking cowl. The SPIKE FIREFLY supplied the Troopers with the potential to interact a excessive worth goal with pinpoint accuracy whereas decreasing threat to the drive and collateral injury.
