Launched effect L-SPIKE 4X to be unveiled at AUSA 2025 by Rafael
NewsOctober 12, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. The L-SPIKE 4X launched effect, a loiter-capable member of the SPIKE missile family designed for engagements out to 40 kilometers and compatible with legacy SPIKE NLOS launchers on air, land and naval platforms, will be shown at the AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition, the company announced in a statement.
The system is built as a missile with built-in loiter capability rather than an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) retrofitted with a warhead, the statement reads. Rafael says the L-SPIKE 4X will be offered with tandem HEAT and multi-purpose warhead options and uses a jet propulsion module that can transit to the 40 km engagement envelope in about five minutes or provide on-station persistence of up to 25 minutes in loiter mode, the company says.
The design includes hardened communications to maintain control in contested electromagnetic and GPS-denied environments, the statement adds. An autonomy and operator-support architecture enables AI-enabled functions such as automatic target recognition and image capture, and allows one operator to supervise up to four missiles on a single mission, the company says.
