Israeli defence firm Rafael promoted a new long-range missile at last week’s Singapore air show.
The Sea/Ice Breaker weapon has an air-breathing engine and an unclassified range of 162nm (300km), according to Rafael vice-president Ofer Weinberg.
The weapon weighs 400kg (882lb) and carries a 113kg warhead. Four can be carried by a Lockheed Martin F-16, and two can be carried internally by the Lockheed F-35 – although F-35 carriage has yet to be certified.
Ofer stresses that the Sea/Ice Breaker is “not a concept, but a programme of record”. Rafael has signed up two customers for the weapon, with orders of a “significant quantity”.
Guidance is provided through an electo-optical/infrared sensor in the nose, and the weapon is designed to operate in GPS-denied conditions.
Although the weapon operates autonomously, it has a satellite connection back to the pilot of the launching aircraft, who can intervene if necessary. The satellite connection also helps the weapon transmit information for battle damage assessment purposes.
Four or more Sea/Ice Breakers can be teamed up to simultaneously attack a target, with the weapons using a datalink to communicate among themselves.
