Meet the SPICE Smart Bomb Guidance Kit Employed by the Israel Air Force
The kit enables the transformation of a regular aerial bomb into a smart bomb through guidance based on an electro-optic sensor or GPS
Eyal Boguslavsky
| 23/10/2023
The "SPICE" system (an acronym for Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) is a series of guidance kits developed by the Israeli defense company Rafael as a continuation of the Popeye (AGM-142 Have Nap) air-to-surface missile.
The kit allows for the transformation of a regular bomb dropped from the air into a smart bomb through guidance based on an electro-optic sensor or GPS.
SPICE includes a head with an inertial navigation system (INS) and a GPS system. The system sends images until the bomb makes its impact and adjusts its course during flight using folding wings and various fins. The range of SPICE can reach up to 150 kilometers.
With the SPICE system, the bomb becomes highly accurate with a precision impact radius of up to three meters from the intended target. The system can be installed on aircraft such as F-15 Eagle, F-16, F-35, Tornado, and Mirage 2000, and it is compatible with general-purpose bombs like MK-83 and MK-84, as well as BLU-110, BLU-109, RAP-1000, and RAP-200.
The SPICE system comprises four models: Spice 250, weighing 125 kilograms; Spice 1000, weighing 450 kilograms; Spice 2000, weighing 900 kilograms; and Spice 250 ER, introduced in 2021, which features an extended range of 150 kilometers. The numbers stand for the weight of the bomb in pounds.
The system became operational with the Israeli Air Force in 2003, initially used by the F-16 squadron. In 2018, an upgraded version of the SPICE 1000 was adopted by the Israeli Air Force.
Countries that have purchased this system from Israel include the US, India, Greece, Brazil, Columbia, Singapore, and South Korea.
The kit enables the transformation of a regular aerial bomb into a smart bomb through guidance based on an electro-optic sensor or GPS
The "SPICE" system (an acronym for Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) is a series of guidance kits developed by the Israeli defense company Rafael as a continuation of the Popeye (AGM-142 Have Nap) air-to-surface missile.
The kit allows for the transformation of a regular bomb dropped from the air into a smart bomb through guidance based on an electro-optic sensor or GPS.
SPICE includes a head with an inertial navigation system (INS) and a GPS system. The system sends images until the bomb makes its impact and adjusts its course during flight using folding wings and various fins. The range of SPICE can reach up to 150 kilometers.
With the SPICE system, the bomb becomes highly accurate with a precision impact radius of up to three meters from the intended target. The system can be installed on aircraft such as F-15 Eagle, F-16, F-35, Tornado, and Mirage 2000, and it is compatible with general-purpose bombs like MK-83 and MK-84, as well as BLU-110, BLU-109, RAP-1000, and RAP-200.
The SPICE system comprises four models: Spice 250, weighing 125 kilograms; Spice 1000, weighing 450 kilograms; Spice 2000, weighing 900 kilograms; and Spice 250 ER, introduced in 2021, which features an extended range of 150 kilometers. The numbers stand for the weight of the bomb in pounds.
The system became operational with the Israeli Air Force in 2003, initially used by the F-16 squadron. In 2018, an upgraded version of the SPICE 1000 was adopted by the Israeli Air Force.
Countries that have purchased this system from Israel include the US, India, Greece, Brazil, Columbia, Singapore, and South Korea.
