Rheinmetall to deliver SPIKE guided missile systems to Germany

The Federal Agency for Defence Technology and Procurement in Koblenz has contracted with EuroSpike GmbH of Röthenbach, Germany, to supply the Bundeswehr with SPIKE LR guided missile systems worth around EUR 35 million. The contract encompasses 311 lightweight multipurpose guided missile systems (MELLS) for the German Army's new Puma infantry fighting vehicle as well as infantry units and special operations forces. EuroSpike GmbH is jointly owned by Diehl subsidiary Diehl BGT Defence (40%), Rheinmetall AG of Düsseldorf (40%) and the Israeli company Rafael (20%). EuroSpike GmbH is responsible for marketing, sales and programme management of the SPIKE guided missile family in Europe. Furthermore, the contract contains an option for the procurement of an additional 1,160 MELLS guided missiles, worth around EUR 120 million. In December 2008 the Budget Committee of the German Parliament authorized integration of the MELLS into two pre-production Puma IFVs, allocating around €68 million for the project. Requested by the German military, the decision to integrate MELLS systems into the Puma significantly expands the vehicle's operational scope, providing it with a full range of battlefield capabilities. The SPIKE LR guided missile meets the needs of the modern military perfectly. Combining maximum lethality with a substantial standoff, it enables pinpoint accuracy in a variety of tactical situations and terrain while simultaneously assuring an extremely high level of force protection.