*Athanasios Tsakalos

According to exclusive information obtained by the writer, Cyprus has already signed an agreement for the acquisition of anti-tank missiles of the SPIKE family and specifically of the EuroSpike consortium (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Diehl and Rheinmetall).

The joint venture is responsible for promoting the SPIKE family of missiles in Europe and manufacturing parts of the systems in Germany.

The information was given to the writer during talks with EuroSpike representatives at the recent DEFEA 2023. The said information was confirmed once again today during the presentation of the system at a Defence and Security conference being held in Nicosia on May 15-16, 2023.

As DEFENCE ReDEFiNED first reported in 2021, the National Guard was interested in acquiring 5th-generation anti-tank missiles. Reports at the time suggested that potential options came from both the European market and neighboring Israel. The interest in acquiring such systems as well as other means was confirmed by the former Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, Charalambos Petridis, in the Ministry’s report in 2021.

Also read: Exclusive | National Guard’s evident interest in state-of-the-art anti-tank weapon systems

The SPIKE LR2

The weapon system in question has an operational range of more than 5,500 meters and is available in two versions (HEAT and Multipurpose).

The missile is designed for the modern battlefield with multiple capabilities, including “Fire and forget”, “Fire and Observe” and “Fire to Target Coordinates” capability.

The system is also resistant to GPS jamming and has a multispectral sensor (IR/VIS).

ENOK A.B vehicle with Spike LR2 launcher

The SPIKE LR2 missile can be used by infantry units, launched from vehicles, but also mounted on boats and helicopters. According to EuroSpike, Cyprus will procure a number of modified vehicles which, as you can see in the picture above, are the ENOK A.B of the German ACS with a SPIKE LR2 launcher (see the article below).

Also read: ACS Armoured Car Systems | ENOK AB vehicle in SPIKE launcher configuration – The company’s participation in DEFEA 2023

Technical characteristics of SPIKE LR2 missile:

• Weight: 12.7 kg
• Length: 1.17 meters
• Caliber: 130 mm
• Range: 5,500 meters from a ground launcher, up to 10,000 meters from a helicopter

At this point, it should be pointed out that, although the system in question is suitable for use as an anti-tank system, it can also be used as an anti-aircraft system for aerial targets with speeds up to 70 km/h.

It is noted that last November the German Government refused to comment on reports that spoke of the purchase of 175 SPIKE anti-tank missiles by the National Guard, while Greece recently announced the purchase of the SPIKE NLOS version, which is the capstone of the system.

Also read: Germany | Reduced arms exports to Turkey – What applies for Cyprus and Greece

The SPIKE ER-2 version, with a range of up to 16 kilometers, is also certified for use on Airbus H145M helicopters, which will be procured by the National Guard. For more information, you can read our extensive presentation from EUROSATORY 2022 below.

Also read: EUROSATORY 2022 | Presentation of Airbus H145M with SPIKE ER-2 missiles and complete armament suite – VIDEO & Photos