Rafael begins integrating SPICE 1000 precision weapon with F-35
The Israeli-made munition is being integrated with Lockheed Martin’s fighter for the first time at facilities in the US, with the project expected to be completed within months and potentially opening the weapon to F-35 operators worldwide.
Rafael is working with Lockheed Martin to integrate its SPICE 1000 precision-guided weapon with the F-35 fighter jet, in a project that could eventually make the Israeli-developed munition available to F-35 operators around the world.
The integration, the first effort to qualify SPICE 1000 for the F-35, is being carried out at Lockheed Martin facilities in the United States. Rafael expects the work to be completed within the next few months, after which the Israeli Air Force will be able to employ the weapon from its F-35 Adir aircraft.
The project is significant beyond Israel because the F-35 is operated by multiple air forces. Once the integration is complete, the compatibility of SPICE 1000 with the aircraft could create a route for other F-35 operators to field the weapon, which Rafael says has already been sold to several countries and is in operational service with air forces worldwide.
SPICE 1000 is an Israeli precision-strike weapon that has been used extensively in long-range operations from F-15 and F-16 aircraft, while the F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter built by Lockheed Martin.
Rafael disclosed the project at the AFA Air, Space & Cyber Conference in Maryland, where the company is showcasing its precision-strike, air and missile defense, high-energy laser and counter-drone capabilities.
SPICE 1000 is designed to turn a 1,000-pound general-purpose or penetration warhead into an autonomous, stand-off precision weapon. Rafael says it can strike fixed and high-value targets at ranges of more than 120 kilometers.
Unlike a weapon that depends on GPS to reach its target, SPICE 1000 uses an electro-optical seeker and scene-matching algorithms to identify and home in on its designated target. Rafael describes the system as capable of operating in GPS-denied environments, an increasingly important feature of long-range precision weapons.
SPICE 1000 has already been in service with the Israeli Air Force for several years and, according to Rafael, was used extensively during Israeli Air Force operations in Iran.
