Long-range Precision Munition on Attack Helicopters
The U.S. Army has decided to field an Israeli-made, long-range precision munition on attack helicopters as an interim solution to get after greater stand-off and long-range engagements.
An Army Requirements Oversight Council decision has authorized the service to field a certain number of Rafael’s Spike Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) missiles ahead of a bigger decision on a plan for acquiring long-range precision munitions for the service’s current and future aviation fleets, Brig. Gen. Wally Rugen, who is in charge of Army aviation modernization, said at a Bell demonstration of its V-280 Valor tiltrotor helicopter on Jan. 8.
That bigger decision has yet to go before the AROC, Rugen said, but after successful tests of the Spike system in 2019, the Army is moving forward to address a much-desired capability, particularly when considering how the service will fight in the future where greater stand-off to go up against enemy targets is paramount to successful operations.
Credit to : Warthog Defense