Singapore Airshow: Rafael Presenting their Complete Air and Missile Defence Systems

Rafael presents their complete range of Air Defence Systems on booth N51.

New at this show is:

IRON BEAM - High Energy Laser (HEL) based system against rockets, mortar and airborne target attacks

Integrated Air and Missile Defence Systems

IRON DOME – Combat Proven Active defence system against Short Range Artillery Rockets
SPYDER SR/MR – Family of short and medium range air defence systems
PYTHON-5 – Full sphere air-to-air IR missile and air defence missile
DERBY – Beyond visual range air-to-air missile and air defence missile

Precision Guidance Kits

SPICE 250- Modular, Integrated C4I Air & Missile Defence System
Electro Optic and Communication Systems:
RECCELITE – Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance
LITENING – Airborne Targeting and Navigation Pod
IMILITE – Multi-Source, Multi-Task Imagery Exploitation System
BNET FAMILY – Broadband MANET IP Software Defined Radio (SDR)
TACMAX – Tactical WiMAX Network

Multi-Purpose, Tactical, Guided Missile Systems

SPIKE TEAM TRAINER – Tactical training for a SPIKE combat team

Land Systems

Rafael's advanced Combat Proven land systems for Survivability, Lethality and MANOEUVRABILITY - multimedia display.

IRON BEAM High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS)

IRON BEAM is a mobile High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) that destroys airborne targets (C-RAM, C-UAV) and ground-based targets by irradiation with a directed High Energy (HE) laser beam. It is designed for operation as a stand-alone system or part of air-defence system at day or night-time. The IRON BEAM system comprises technologies that offer unique new capabilities. The IRON BEAM weapon system enables delivery of scalable levels of energy at tactical and strategic distances while generating entirely new effect in the battlefield. Compared to traditional weapons, laser weapons offer significant benefits including: minimal collateral damage, long-range force application capabilities, lethal target effects, potentially unlimited magazines and significantly smaller logistics footprints than non-Directed Energy (DE) weapon systems. Furthermore, there are advantages of reduced operational costs and lower manpower requirements due to automated battle management systems using state-of-the-art electronics.

The IRON BEAM destroys a target either by heating the target surface to the weakening point and causing it to fail under operating stress, or by burning through the skin to destroy underlying critical components and/or subsystems.

Iron Beam Features

• Stealth and Covertness – Iron Beam is human unseen and unheard.
• Pin-Point Accuracy - minimal collateral damage, minimal environmental impact and no risk to friendly air traffic around the attacked target.
• Integration in a Wide Variety of Platforms
• Long-Range Engagement – long “arm” to engage potential target located along line-of-sight (LOS)
• Multi-target Engagement – enabled by IRON BEAM fast reaction

IRON BEAM Advantages

• Speed of Light - overcoming saturated attacks and destroying all targets.
• Reduced Life Cycle Cost (LCC)
• Low Cost Per Shot - the cost of each shot is negligible.
• Easy Upgradeability and Modular System
• Deep Magazine and Minimal Logistic Trail - continuous operation is dependent solely on the supply of electricity from the platform; no need for logistic support during combat.
• Beam Combination - Utilizes Rafael's unique technology of Beam Combination

Iron Beam Architecture

• As a standalone system
• Actively cued via interface with external systems
• Connected with an Air Defence battery

Iron Beam Engagement Procedure

• The Functional Kill process:
• Threat detection by a surveillance system
• Threat re-acquisition and coarse tracking by medium FOV sensor
• Threat hand-over and re-acquisition by fine tracker utilising narrow FOV sensor
• High Energy Laser (HEL) activation and threat engagement
• Functional Kill and damage assessment

SPICE 250

The optimal solution for high volume precise standoff strike for the dynamic battlefield SPICE 250, a new generation of standoff PGM, is the latest addition to the SPICE family. The SPICE family is a combat-proven weapon system, in service with leading Air Forces throughout the world.

SPICE 250 is an autonomous weapon with real time target position update capability.
SPICE 250 hits and destroys static and dynamic targets with pinpoint accuracy and at high attack volume. SPICE 250 is a 250lb weapon, enabling multiple simultaneous strikes, using Rafael Smart-Quad-Rack (SQR) on a fighter aircraft or direct suspension on a light combat aircraft. The 200lb class effective warhead provides high lethality and ensures low collateral damage. SPICE 250 achieves an extended standoff range of up to 100km using its deployable wings. SPICE 250 enables impact point update after release, using its communication module. In addition, it provides Battle Damage Indication (BDI) capability, by transmitting the target image just before hit. These capabilities, along with airborne Mission Planning, provide a comprehensive solution for Time-Sensitive-Targets, land moving and maritime targets. SPICE 250 weapon is released outside the threatened area, and performs midcourse navigation autonomously using its INS/GPS. While approaching the target, SPICE 250 unique scene-matching algorithm compares the electro-optical image received in real time via the weapon seeker with mission reference data stored in the weapon computer memory. SPICE 250 homes in accurately and autonomously to the exact target location in the predefined impact angle and azimuth.

The use of a common aircraft interface and sophisticated SQR simplifies the effort required for aircraft integration SPICE 250 achieves high serviceability with a low life cycle cost. Its simple operation and Mission Planning require only short and simple aircrew training.