Recently, the Bundeswehr took an important armament initiative by ordering the latest MELLS anti-tank missile system produced by the European company Spike. This order marked a solid step in the direction of modernizing the equipment of the German army. European Spike is a joint venture between Rheinmetall AG, Deere Defense AG and Raphael Advanced Defense Systems AG of Israel, in which Rheinmetall holds 40% of the shares, Deere holds 20% and Rafael holds 40%.
The order, which covers 666 missiles and 82 integrated command and launch units, has a total value of about 88 million euros ($103.7 million), with deliveries scheduled for completion between 2022 and 2024. Rheinmetall will also supply key components worth 17 million euros to Euro Spike.
The Myers missiles will be used in infantry operations in the German Army, and Rheinmetall will manufacture more than 100 components for the command and launch system, including transport and storage containers. In addition, they will provide key components for 1,500 Spike LR long-range missiles manufactured by Rafael. This project marks the fourth batch of MELLS missiles that the German Army has ordered, which will specifically support Germany's infantry and mechanized infantry units.
The missiles will adopt the Rafael-made Spike LR long-range missile, and the launcher will use the latest version and will be able to launch the upgraded Spike LR2 missile. This decision is impressive, as the reusable fixed asset launcher has a certain level of economy and flexibility, and only requires a software upgrade. In contrast, replacing missiles with new models does not require additional training costs.
This "Spike" LR missile is a fairly advanced anti-tank missile, known as a fourth-generation anti-tank missile. It is equipped with infrared thermal imaging and photoelectric dual-mode guidance head, which realizes the locking before launch, autonomous guidance after launch, and wireless data link transmission guidance functions. The "Spike" LR2 is an upgraded model, which not only has a longer range (increased from 4 km to 5.5 km), but also has more powerful destruction capabilities, advanced target recognition and tracking capabilities, and networked combat capabilities that can assign targets by third parties.
According to the German Ministry of Defense, MELLS is a multifunctional lightweight guided missile system with a range of up to 4000 or 5500 meters, which can be used to combat various armored targets. This performance figure is clearly calculated on the basis of the LR2 model, and it is not excluded that the German army will buy some missiles of the LR2 model.
The order stems from a framework contract in October 2019, which provides for the production and supply of approximately 100 launchers and thousands of MELLS guided missiles between 2024 and 2031. Rheinmetall said it meant that they had received orders worth hundreds of millions of euros.
IT IS WORTH MENTIONING THAT THE ISRAELI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE ANNOUNCED IN MID-FEBRUARY THIS YEAR THAT THE GERMAN ARMY HAD ALSO ORDERED 666 MELLS MISSILES OF A SIMILAR MODEL, WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF ABOUT 25 MILLION EUROS.
Rheinmetall has extensive experience in the production of the MELLS family of missiles, and in addition to the production of important components for missiles, they are also responsible for the integration of these missiles into various armored vehicles. Currently, they have integrated this modern missile into the Weasel infantry fighting vehicle and are working on its integration on the Puma infantry fighting vehicle. Another contractor is also integrating the system into the Weasel airborne combat vehicle.
In terms of future prospects, the Integrated Command and Launch Unit will be combined with Rheinmetall's Future Soldier – Extended System soldier system to enable greater networking capabilities through the TacNet command and information system, which will further optimize the ability to cooperate with the sensor and weapon systems.
In general, although the news is not particularly striking, it highlights the development of the German army in the field of modern anti-tank missile systems and the procurement of modern equipment. This will help to improve the combat effectiveness and defense capabilities of the German army.