The Spike Encroaches on the MILAN’s Territory

 

Spike missile fire on ‘San Gregorio’ Training Centre (Photo:Weapons Systems Department)

The missile in the air after being fired (Photo:Weapons Systems Department)

Missile packaging (Photo:Weapons Systems Department)
 

The advance of the new Spike-LR missile’s presence in units is unstoppable, and little by little –delivery is being carried out in phases-, it is encroaching on the territory of the MILAN, which will disappear completely: ‘Initially they will coexist for about six months in order to avoid the units’ losing anti-tank capabilities,’ explains the head of the Spike Programme, Colonel Bernal.
 

This programme, with a 324 million Euro budget, will provide the Army with a total of 236 fire units and  2,310 Spike missiles –a corrected amount from the initial forecast of 2,360 units, due to the increase experienced by the VAT tax from the signing until the present day-, which are assigned to Anti-tank Defence units in Infantry battalions and Cavalry groups (over 24 launchers for Marines): ‘Meeting the two annual delivery dates (24 fire units and 240 missiles per delivery), by the enterprise is being strictly observed’ states Colonel Bernal. More than half of the entire programme has been received and the deliveries will conclude in May 2014.

Throughout  2012, the units receiving new fire units and missiles will be 2nd Legion Light Infantry Brigade ‘Alfonso XIII’, 7th Brigade ‘Galicia’, 10th Mechanised Infantry Brigade ‘Guzmán el Bueno’, 12th Armoured ‘Guadarrama’, Mountain Troops Headquarters and finally, 2nd Cavalry Brigade ‘Castillejos’. The first arrived in April 2010, to the Ceuta and Melilla General Commands.
 

In turn, all logistic support required by the new missile (2nd, 3rd and 4th echelon maintenance teams, tools,  testing equipment  and training simulators) have already been received, distributed and installed in the units where it is assigned. 
 

Two testing teams are already operational at the armouries at ‘San Gregorio’ Training Centre (Zaragoza), ‘Cerro Negro’ Training Centre (Toledo) and, in the future, there will be a third at the armoury in “El Vacar’ (Córdoba). These teams will carry out missile diagnosis, as well as the testing that they must undergo at ten years of storage.

Regarding simulators, according to Colonel Bernal, ‘this is a very important part of the programme, because the Spike is a very complex missile and this type of training is really effective and more economical’.  Due to this, the Army has acquired three types of simulator to train operators of the system: a mechanical one that serves for practice in missile handling; another field type, which permits training all the actions, except fire, in real conditions; and another room simulator, the most complex, which allows for training at all launch stages, by means of images in daytime mode and infrared, in various scenarios. 
 

Furthermore, Spain has been incorporated into two international structures:  the Spike Users Club and the Spike Project of the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency’s Weapons Systems Association.
 

The former is a forum for debate and exchange of user country information and experiences, which meets annually.  This year organisation of the meeting corresponds to our country: it will be held in Granada, from 11th to 14th June. 
 

The latter, which we have belonged to since January of this year, allows Spain to benefit from the Agency’s resources for maintenance and acquisition of equipment, spare parts, etc.
 

In short, not only has the Spike programme placed our Army at the level of other allied armies, from the technological point of view, but it has also made it possible for Spain to now have an industry prepared for the production of this type missile, its fire units and replacement parts (the technology is Israeli and belongs to the Rafael enterprise, but manufacture is Spanish -General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Systems and Tecnobit-). A contribution to the national industrial network that in times of crisis is far from inconsiderable.