[62076] Technological breakthrough: Spike missile successfully launched from an unmanned ground vehicle

Military breakthrough: Successful launch of a Spike missile from an unmanned vehicle

In a significant step in the field of military autonomy, the German company Diehl Defence, in cooperation with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and EuroSpike GmbH, has completed a groundbreaking series of tests in which a Spike LR anti-tank missile was successfully launched from a Ziesel unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). According to Carmel News - News, this is the first UGV in the world to perform a successful launch of a modern guided missile under live-fire conditions.

During five days of testing, according to News 360 | All The News, 17 missiles were successfully launched to test the platform's durability against launch loads. Rafael, the developer of the Spike missile, notes that the system demonstrated high reliability and met the required operational loads. The Ziesel, which is based on an Austrian electric platform, is a compact 380 kg vehicle with a carrying capacity of over 500 kg, capable of operating fully autonomously using the PLATON system from Diehl Defence.

The system excels in quiet operation and reduces the risk of electronic detection by limiting the use of active sensors in surveillance modes. Currently, the system is being evaluated by several armies, including those of Germany and Ukraine. Following the success of the experiment, the companies involved announced their intention to accelerate the system's development and conduct demonstrations for additional armies, this after it proved previous capabilities in the fields of logistics and casualty evacuation.