Far better than DRDO missile: Israel's Rafael makes strong pitch for Spike

In January 2018, India had cancelled a $500-million purchase of Spike LR missiles just two weeks before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to ink the deal on a visit to New Delhi

On Wednesday, the Indian Army successfully test-fired the Israeli Spike LR anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), which can home in on, and destroy, enemy tanks at ranges up to 4 km. 

On Thursday, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which builds the Spike, boldly stated: “With confidence in the Spike missile established, the Indian Army may need to revisit their plans” to develop an Indian anti-tank missile.

This is an unusually bold statement, since foreign vendors usually tread softly around New Delhi’s sensibilities and avoid giving procurement advice.

In January 2018, India had cancelled a $500-million purchase of Spike LR missiles just two weeks before Prime