The Finnish Ministry of Defence authorised the Defence Forces to order SPIKE SR, LR2 and ER2 missile systems. The procurement was implemented through NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and the Land Combat Missiles partnership programme. The product manufacturer is Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. The procurement also includes munitions, training equipment, maintenance equipment, training, documentation and spare parts. Delivery equipment for the systems will be procured through a separate procurement in Finland. The overall value of the procurement, without value added tax, is EUR 223.6 million.
Spike is an Israeli fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile and anti-personnel missile with a tandem-charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead. Spike SR and LR2 are procured to complement the anti-tank capabilities as part of the Army’s critical additional procurements. The procurement will increase the number of SPIKE LR missiles in the PSTOHJ2000M system and the new features of the SPIKE SR missiles that are procured for the first time will improve the capabilities of anti-tank troops. The ER2 system procured for the Navy is a medium/long-range system suitable for coastal troops, capable of having an impact on vessels and buildings.
Spike is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. The missile is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker. The long and extended range versions of the Spike also have the capability of “Fire, Observe and Update” operating mode (also known as Lock-on after launch (LOAL)). The missile is connected by a fiber-optical wire that is spooled out between the launch position and the missile. With this, the operator can obtain a target if it is not in the line of sight of the operator at launch, switch targets in flight, or compensate for the movement of the target if the missile is not tracking the target for some reason.
The anti-tank guided missile and anti-personnel missile systems will be maintained in cooperation with the strategic partner supplier Millog Oy. The employment effect of the system maintenance for Millog Oy is three person-years. The procurement will increase the maintenance of the SPIKE system at Millog Oy. Millog is a strategic partner of the Finnish Defense Forces and provides defense materiel life cycle support to the Finnish Army and Navy in all readiness conditions. Millog’s assignments include maintenance and materiel services for platforms and systems related to vehicles, weapon systems, electronic systems as well as modifications and installations.
