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SPICE Delivered to the IAF

SPICE SPICES UP THE Israel Air Force

30 November 2003 -- Spice, also known as the "smart bomb" developed by RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd., has been procured by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) for its F-16 fighter jets.

The Spice is a guidance kit that turns simple iron bombs into precision strike weapons with a stand-off range exceeding 50km. The weapon is navigated by means of GPS/INS (Satellite/Inertial Navigation System). The INS is used both as an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and as a sensor device for weapon angular position and motion. The GPS receiver serves as a backup for the INS and reduces drift by including GPS inputs in navigation calculations. The Spice's electro-optical seeker provides pinpoint accuracy and positive target identification and overcomes target location error and GPS jamming. Another of Spice's great abilities is that the due to its Automatic Target Acquisition (ATA), the Spice can match the satellite target photos that are pre-programmed into the bomb before the mission to the images that its seeker sees in real-time. The pilots who have tested Spice are thrilled; saying that no matter what the weather, "it just doesn't miss!"

In addition to the IDF, Spice is generating much interest in other Air Forces worldwide. The Spice smart bomb is another successful product that was developed by the Missile Division at RAFAEL. The Missile Division develops, designs and manufactures tactical missile and electro-optic systems for various platforms. Its activities also encompass the manufacturing of subsystems and components for aerospace weapon systems and the upgrading of existing missile systems and platforms.

RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd. designs, develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of advanced defense systems for all branches of the armed forces. RAFAEL is the second largest government-owned defense company in Israel with sales in 2002 amounting to $760M.


For further information please contact
RAFAEL public affairs. Tel: 972-4-8791244