Lockheed Martin recently conducted a successful test of the Spike NLOS (Non-Line of Sight) missile system from an Apache Echo Model V6 attack helicopter. The precision strike team accomplished this feat by firing two Spike NLOS All-Up Rounds (AURs) on January 26, 2023, at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
This live-fire test marks a significant milestone in the integration of the Spike NLOS Long Range Precision Munitions Directed Requirement (LRPM DR) system onto the Apache platform. The successful demonstration of two Spike NLOS AURs launched from an Apache platform, engaging a stationary target in different scenarios, paves the way for qualification testing. The next step for the Spike NLOS system is to undergo airworthiness release (AWR) testing, after which it is scheduled to be deployed on the U.S. Army’s Apache Echo Model V6 helicopters by September 2024.
Tom Bargnesi, program management senior manager of the precision strike team at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, emphasized the importance of this integration, stating, “The successful integration of Spike NLOS on the Apache platform demonstrates Lockheed Martin’s continued commitment to 21st-century security solutions that help our customers complete their missions. The system’s expansion to additional platforms, coupled with its mission-focused defense capabilities, ensures that it will help the U.S. Army maintain readiness in an ever-evolving threat environment.”
The SPIKE NLOS missile, mounted on a U.S. Apache helicopter, is part of the Foreign Comparative Testing Program. It assisted the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center in acquiring, testing, and evaluating this advanced missile system.
Spike is an Israeli fire-and-forget anti-tank and anti-personnel guided missile currently in its fourth generation. It was developed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in response to lessons learned from the Yom Kippur War, highlighting the need for a high-precision guided tactical ground-to-ground battlefield missile. Spike is available in man-portable, vehicle-launched, and helicopter-launched variants. The “Non-Line Of Sight” version boasts an ultra-long range, with a claimed maximum reach of 25 kilometers (16 miles), making it suitable for ground and helicopter launches.
The SPIKE NLOS missile supports the Army’s third modernization priority, Future Vertical Lift’s signature effort, the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). This ecosystem includes the Long Range Precision Munition and Air Launched Effects. During the experiment, the AH-64E acted as a surrogate for FARA, SPIKE NLOS represented the LRPM, and Area-I’s ALTIUS 600 UAS served as the surrogate for ALE. This showcase allowed the Army to demonstrate the extended reach, range, and lethality of both the Apache with SPIKE and the future FARA with LRPM. Today, the SPIKE NLOS missile could offer an interim solution that surpasses the range of currently fielded systems if the Army decides to acquire the missile.
