Spike SR being test-fired in Estonia. (Photo: Rafael)
The Estonian Centre for Defence Investment (ECDI) has ordered an undisclosed number of Spike SR man-portable short-range antitank weapons from the EuroSpike consortium for about €40 million.
The deal to equip infantry brigades in the Estonian Defence Forces and the paramilitary Estonian Defence League includes training materials and services, ECDI noted in a 20 January statement.
EuroSpike demonstrated Spike SR in Estonia in November 2020.
Initial deliveries of the single-use Spike SR will be made this year, said ECDI armament manager Ramil Lipp, adding that Estonia saved ’nearly two million euros on the expected total cost of the project’.
Spike SR will replace 90mm towed antitank guns used by the Estonian Defence League. The Estonian Defence Forces had operated the MILAN antitank missile system but retired this weapon ’years ago’, ECDI stated.
Lt Col Martin Kukk of the Estonian Defence Forces explained that there is a 1,500m-range antitank capability at battalion level ’but with the addition of the Spike SR, infantry companies will also gain the same capability’.
The Estonian Defence Forces already have the Spike LR2 anti-tank missile in their arsenal.
In July 2021, the Estonian Navy hosted a demonstration by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Oshkosh Defense involving Spike NLOS missiles fired at BLoS naval targets from a launcher on an Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
The armoured vehicles are fitted with 12.7mm heavy machine guns and came off the production line with specific Estonian requirements. Only the communications subsystems and some other minor equipment were added to vehicles in Estonia.
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