Rafael pitches loitering Spike variant for US Army ‘Launched Effects’

JERUSALEM — Rafael introduced the L-SPIKE 4X Launched Effect loitering missile at the AUSA exhibition in Washington this week.

The newest addition to the Spike collection comes in two primary warhead configurations: anti-tank and multipurpose.

According to Rafael’s announcement, the L-SPIKE 4X can be launched from legacy Spike launchers on air, land, and naval platforms, and can remain airborne for up to 25 minutes in loitering mode. The company also states that it can engage targets at ranges of up to 40km.

Designed as an automated weapon, it includes an operator-support suite that emphasizes man-in-the-loop control. This enables a single operator to supervise and coordinate up to four missiles simultaneously in one mission while retaining human decision authority, according to the manufacturer.

“L-SPIKE 4X aligns closely with the capabilities required by U.S. and allied forces — resilient, precise, and operator-controlled effects launched from multiple platforms,” a Rafael spokesperson said when asked by Defense News about whether the company is angling for the U.S. Army’s Launched Effects program.

Launched Effects refers to unmanned, autonomous defense systems that can be deployed from air, naval, or ground vehicles and deliver a wide range of capabilities, such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision munitions.

Army officials have emphasized the need for more autonomous systems in order to equip every division with Launched Effects by the end of 2026.

Rafael mentions that the L-SPIKE 4X is designed for operation in contested electromagnetic and GPS-denied environments and includes hardened communications to maintain control under interference. Its architecture also supports AI-enabled functions, including automatic target recognition and target image acquisition.

Tzally Greenberg is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has experience reporting on economic affairs as well as defense and cyber companies.

耶路撒冷——本周，拉斐尔公司在华盛顿举行的美国陆军协会展览会上推出了 L-SPIKE 4X 发射效应巡飞导弹。

Spike系列最新成员有两种主要弹头配置：反坦克弹头和多用途弹头。

根据拉斐尔公司的公告，L-SPIKE 4X导弹可从现有的“长钉”（Spike）导弹发射器发射，适用于空中、陆地和海上平台，并可在空中盘旋长达25分钟。该公司还表示，该导弹的有效射程可达40公里。

该武器设计为自动化武器，包含一套强调人机回路控制的操作员支持系统。据制造商称，这使得一名操作员能够在一次任务中同时监控和协调多达四枚导弹，并保留决策权。

当《防务新闻》询问拉斐尔公司是否正在争取美国陆军的发射效应计划时，该公司发言人表示：“L-SPIKE 4X 与美国及其盟军所需的能力非常契合——具有韧性、精确性和操作员控制的效果，可从多个平台发射。”

发射效应是指可以从空中、海上或地面车辆部署的无人自主防御系统，并可提供侦察、监视和精确制导武器等多种能力。

陆军官员强调，需要更多自主系统，以便在 2026 年底前为每个师配备发射效应系统。

拉斐尔提到，L-SPIKE 4X 专为在电磁干扰和 GPS 信号受限的环境中运行而设计，并配备了强化通信功能，以在干扰下保持控制。其架构还支持人工智能功能，包括自动目标识别和目标图像采集。

特扎利·格林伯格是《防务新闻》的以色列记者。他拥有丰富的经济事务以及国防和网络安全公司报道经验。