Czech army selects Israeli-made Spyder as new air defense missile system.

According to a press release published by the Israeli company Rafael on September 27, 2020, the Czech Ministry of Defense has Informed the Israel Ministry of Defense of its Decision to Equip Czech armed forces with the Israeli Air Defense Missile System Spyder produced by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
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Test firing of Israeli-made Spyder air defense missile system manufactured by the Israeli company Rafael.  (Picture source Rafael)

Israeli Defense Minister, Benny Gantz: "We thank the Czech government for their partnership and for the decision to equip their military with Israeli air defense systems. This is another significant step in strengthening security relations between our two countries, and it is also great news for Israeli defense industries during such a complex period."

Following an international tender process, which lasted several years, the Czech Ministry of Defense informed the Directorate of International Defense Cooperation (SIBAT) in the Israel Ministry of Defense, of its decision to equip its military with Israeli air defense systems.

On Friday, September 25, 2020, the Czech government approved the launch of procurement negotiations for four Israeli “SPYDER” batteries, within the framework of a GTG agreement between the two countries. Israel was selected as the sole supplier for the project and the expected agreement between the countries' defense ministries is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

SPYDER (Surface-to-Air Python & Derby), is a quick reaction, low- to-high surface-to-air missile system designed to counter attacks by a variety of aerial threats including aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. The system provides effective protection of valuable assets, as well as first-class defense for maneuvering forces located in combat areas. The SPYDER system includes a radar system produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

Mr. Ariel Karo, EVP marketing and business development at Rafael: "We are very proud to have been selected to provide SPYDER systems to the Czech Republic through a GTG process. The decision to select SPYDER, developed and produced by Rafael, is a significant vote of confidence in our proven air defense capabilities demonstrated over the years through a variety of solutions that span from Iron Dome, David's Sling, and the SPYDER air defense system, in service and combat-proven in different countries around the world."

According to information released on the Internet, the Israeli Spyder air defense missile system is already in service with Singapore and Vietnam. The Defense Blog MaxDefense Philippines reported the selection of the SPYDER-MR by the Philippine armed forces for its ground-based air defense system (GBADS) requirement.

The Spyder is a family of mobile air defense missile system designed and manufactured by the Israeli company Rafael that includes Extended/Medium/Long-range mobile air defense system that can be used to defeat a wide range of aerial targets such as aircraft,, helicopters, bombers, cruise missiles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and more.

The missile launcher station of the Spyder can be mounted a Tatra truck, a Mercedes-Benz Actros truck, a MAN TGS truck, Scania P-series truck, Dongfeng truck, or other truck platforms.

The Spyder system is able to fire the Python-5 and Derby surface-to-air missiles which share full commonality with the air-to-air missiles. The original Python-5 is an air-to-air missile that is also used by the Spyder. It has a maximum firing range of 20 km and is equipped with a warhead of 11 kg. The Derby missile is a medium-range active radar homing missile that has a range of 50 km.