AH-64 Apache test fires Israeli Spike ATGM

Tiamat

I've seen the future...
Funny thing, me and CurtisLemay wrote about Spike getting used by the US Army in the WW3 fic I'm working on, but it seems it's now being tested as a possible reality. It was used in the test to apparently hit a target 20 miles away, over water. 😮


 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
I'm not surprised, but then again the Israelis probably did most of the legwork on the integration bit.
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
I agree, it would make sense for them to equip their Apaches with NLOS Spikes.
Especially since Hellfires are going to be retooled to be a -to quote GURPS- a vehicular TAC missile (basically a missile that is designed to kill aircraft and vehicles equally, in the game its a KE missile and infantry-carried but the Hellfires in this role would be using either HEDP or HEAT warheads instead) from what I've seen.
 

Bacle

When the effort is no longer profitable...
Founder
Especially since Hellfires are going to be retooled to be a -to quote GURPS- a vehicular TAC missile (basically a missile that is designed to kill aircraft and vehicles equally, in the game its a KE missile and infantry-carried but the Hellfires in this role would be using either HEDP or HEAT warheads instead) from what I've seen.
I wonder if we could find a way to make a Javelin type launcher for Hellfire's to make into a MANPAD anti-everything missile.
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
I wonder if we could find a way to make a Javelin type launcher for Hellfire's to make into a MANPAD anti-everything missile.
The missile itself is almost 50kg in weight, that is before adding in all the requirements for a man-portable ATGM launcher. TOWs are the upper limit of what you can do with them, and their man-portable (for a very 'minimal' definition of man-portable) setups are massive multipart constructs.
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
Whats the big deal about Spike?
Spike NLOS can be used in an indirect fire mode and uses enhanced IR imaging sensors. It's one of the most modern and advanced ATGMs right now. Given that anything less than 'hiding behind a solid object/terrain' capable radar is proliferating, this allows for helicopters to have some attack capability while not being shot to pieces.
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
Also Spike NLOS has about twice the range of Hellfire, allowing the helicopter to cover wider area.
Hence why I said it had indirect fire capability. Although, to be frank, I won't be surprised that missiles are going to go the way of Battletech after a fashion with ADS proliferating like hell.
 

PsihoKekec

Swashbuckling Accountant
Hence why I said it had indirect fire capability. Although, to be frank, I won't be surprised that missiles are going to go the way of Battletech after a fashion with ADS proliferating like hell.
Attack and defense are always competing, just like ERA didn't end the HEAT warheads, so the AMS wont end the missiles.
 

Doomsought

Well-known member
ADS has lots of potential, but it is also in its infancy. I think it has another few decades of work until it is something that impacts engineering decisions beyond its inclusion.
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
Attack and defense are always competing, just like ERA didn't end the HEAT warheads, so the AMS wont end the missiles.
In Battletech, AMS ended the era of single, powerful missiles, hence why practically all missiles are either salvo-based or -in the case of capital missiles- optimized for space combat in the anti-ASF role (AMS vs CapMissiles is a bit different, as they operate on the capital damage system, but getting 12 (conventional) AMS together is easy enough but starts the path to requiring more FCS and gunners).

Basically, we're likely to see even infantry requiring Macross Missile Massacre levels of ATGM and Recoilless Rifle use as AMS/ADS matures.
 

PsihoKekec

Swashbuckling Accountant
Arrow IV and Thunderbolt send regards. There are many counters to AMS that missile designers will try in future, so it will be constant competition between the two.
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
Arrow IV and Thunderbolt send regards. There are many counters to AMS that missile designers will try in future, so it will be constant competition between the two.
Arrow IVs are artillery and from what I can understand, their harder to take down with AMS if the rules applied, and Thunderbolts have a literal 50/50 chance of being destroyed (roll 1 D6, 1-3 means missile (be NARC or Thunderbolt) is destroyed, 4-6 means missile manages to get through, please note the lack of designs with Thunderbolt missiles in the setting).
 

Zachowon

The Army Life for me! The POG life for me!
Founder
Arrow IVs are artillery and from what I can understand, their harder to take down with AMS if the rules applied, and Thunderbolts have a literal 50/50 chance of being destroyed (roll 1 D6, 1-3 means missile (be NARC or Thunderbolt) is destroyed, 4-6 means missile manages to get through, please note the lack of designs with Thunderbolt missiles in the setting).
You seem to equate rral life with game mechanics a lot
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
You seem to equate rral life with game mechanics a lot
The funny thing is, fiction and real-life have this 'fun' relationship with each other (i.e. the two love to curb notes from each other at the minimum, go 'hold my bear' at the maximum), and given that EndoSteel has become a genuine thing back in 2016, people have stopped laughing at Battletech's material science as 'wholly unrealistic'.
 

Bacle

When the effort is no longer profitable...
Founder
The funny thing is, fiction and real-life have this 'fun' relationship with each other (i.e. the two love to curb notes from each other at the minimum, go 'hold my bear' at the maximum), and given that EndoSteel has become a genuine thing back in 2016, people have stopped laughing at Battletech's material science as 'wholly unrealistic'.
Not to mention that the whole 'Wu Flu' situation isn't that alien to anyone who's read Rainbow Six, and a lot of military gear/innovations tend to try to copy sci-fi things these days.
 

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