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U.S. Army Is Quadrupling Attack Range of Apache Helicopters with Israeli Spike Missiles
(National Interest) Sebastien Roblin - On March 17, 2021, an Apache helicopter from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida launched a missile that was distinctly different from the usual Hellfire anti-tank missiles it carried. As the missile streaked over the Gulf of Mexico at 425 miles per hour, a camera mounted in the weapon's nose transmitted video footage to the helicopter crew. A few minutes later, the Spike-NLOS missile plunged into a small target boat 20 miles away, three or four times the maximum range of the Hellfire missile. Israel already deploys the missile on its own Apaches. The Pentagon had previously wasted $1 billion and a decade failing to develop a missile with similar capabilities before canceling the program. The U.S. Army will initially procure 205 Spike missiles in 2021, to be built by Lockheed Martin in Troy, Alabama, in partnership with Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Separately, the Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command are testing Spike missiles.