Latvia installs new Spike missile training system
The team trainer is said to provide a comprehensive simulation of battlefield conditions so that troops can improve their proficiency in gunnery and command and control
Eyal Boguslavsky
| 09/10/2020
Photo: Rafael
Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced Thursday that the Latvian army has completed installation of a new Team Trainer for Spike LR2 and SR missiles procured from EuroSpike, a joint venture between Rafael, Diehl Defence, and Rheinmetall Electronics.
The Spike Team Trainer (STT) was installed at the end of August by teams from Rafael and EuroSpike. The STT provides gunners and commanders with fully simulated battlefield training, improving both gunnery and command and control proficiency levels. It leads the gunner through all stages of the firing sequence, from visual or infrared surveillance of the target to impact of the simulated missile on the target, Rafael said.
The STT can simulate real-time battle management challenges, such as command and control of multiple launchers, as well as coordination between observation and firing positions, which train the gunners and commanders to handle different scenarios. The system also simulates different environmental scenarios using data on real terrain, with varying visibility conditions, simulating the different seasons of the year. The STT can be developed and adjusted according to the customer’s requests, such as real threat analysis, fighting doctrine and expected enemy course-of-action. The data collected during the mission, including video, audio and radio recordings, allows optimal post-mission debriefing of the troops, according to the company.
The Spike LR2 is a fifth-generation multipurpose missile. Featuring improved engagement ranges of up to 5.5 km, it weighs only 13 kg, possesses enhanced lethality, advanced target tracking capabilities, and a new network-enabled third-party target allocation enhancement with an embedded inertial measurement unit (IMU) assembly. The Spike SR is a light shoulder-launched disposable fire-and-forget missile, effective up to 2km. Weighing only 10 kg, and with a dual seeker, it allows the maneuvering infantry to acquire and engage fast-moving targets at short range, thanks to its advanced tracker.
Gal Papier, head of marketing at Rafael’s Precision Tactical Weapon Systems directorate, said “The Latvian SPIKE Team Trainer is an advanced training facility which enables training of three different SPIKE variants – the SPIKE LR (Long Range), the 5th generation SPIKE LR2 and the SPIKE SR. The installed training facility will allow the Latvian Army to both qualify and sustain a high level of current and future generation SPIKE gunners and commanders, providing them with advanced and significant antitank capabilities.”
The Spike LR2 missile. Photo: Rafael
The team trainer is said to provide a comprehensive simulation of battlefield conditions so that troops can improve their proficiency in gunnery and command and control
Photo: Rafael
Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced Thursday that the Latvian army has completed installation of a new Team Trainer for Spike LR2 and SR missiles procured from EuroSpike, a joint venture between Rafael, Diehl Defence, and Rheinmetall Electronics.
The Spike Team Trainer (STT) was installed at the end of August by teams from Rafael and EuroSpike. The STT provides gunners and commanders with fully simulated battlefield training, improving both gunnery and command and control proficiency levels. It leads the gunner through all stages of the firing sequence, from visual or infrared surveillance of the target to impact of the simulated missile on the target, Rafael said.
The STT can simulate real-time battle management challenges, such as command and control of multiple launchers, as well as coordination between observation and firing positions, which train the gunners and commanders to handle different scenarios. The system also simulates different environmental scenarios using data on real terrain, with varying visibility conditions, simulating the different seasons of the year. The STT can be developed and adjusted according to the customer’s requests, such as real threat analysis, fighting doctrine and expected enemy course-of-action. The data collected during the mission, including video, audio and radio recordings, allows optimal post-mission debriefing of the troops, according to the company.
The Spike LR2 is a fifth-generation multipurpose missile. Featuring improved engagement ranges of up to 5.5 km, it weighs only 13 kg, possesses enhanced lethality, advanced target tracking capabilities, and a new network-enabled third-party target allocation enhancement with an embedded inertial measurement unit (IMU) assembly. The Spike SR is a light shoulder-launched disposable fire-and-forget missile, effective up to 2km. Weighing only 10 kg, and with a dual seeker, it allows the maneuvering infantry to acquire and engage fast-moving targets at short range, thanks to its advanced tracker.
Gal Papier, head of marketing at Rafael’s Precision Tactical Weapon Systems directorate, said “The Latvian SPIKE Team Trainer is an advanced training facility which enables training of three different SPIKE variants – the SPIKE LR (Long Range), the 5th generation SPIKE LR2 and the SPIKE SR. The installed training facility will allow the Latvian Army to both qualify and sustain a high level of current and future generation SPIKE gunners and commanders, providing them with advanced and significant antitank capabilities.”
The Spike LR2 missile. Photo: Rafael
