Indian army orders Rafael Spike antitank missiles in emergency.

The Indian army has placed an immediate order for 240 Spike anti-tank missiles and 12 launchers from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Indian media report, echoed by Globes in Israel.

Spike antitank missile, as operated by the Belgian army (Picture source: Army Recognition)

This sudden procurement decision very recently taken by the Indian army follows an assessment of the current situation which is regarded as worsening since 2018, which Army Recognition already regularly reported. It seems that the new order is worth tens of millions of dollars.

As long ago as in 2011, the Indian army decided to buy thousands of Spike missiles for over $500 million. But then a dispute broke out between the Indian army and the DRDO, the Indian Ministry of Defense's defense research and development agency, which wanted to promote the development program for the Indian made NAG-190 missile. Unfortunately for India, it appears that the development process for the NAG-190 will take several more years, even though there have been reports in recent months of trial firings of the missile.

The Spike family consists of missiles suited for several platforms, multiple ranges and a variety of targets. Spike is a fourth generation, man-portable, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile with tandem-charged HEAT warhead. The Spike can also be fired from a ship. The Spike can arm various helicopters.