Rafael Eyes Ice Breaker, Spike LR2 Missile Production in India

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. (Rafael) of Israel is looking to produce two new-generation missile systems in partnership with the Indian state-owned defence enterprise Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). At the ongoing airshow, Rafael inked a inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BDL to establish Indian production of the Ice Breaker, 5th-generation long-range autonomous precision-guided weapon system, and offer it to the Indian armed forces. Rafael and BDL will collaborate to produce the Ice Breaker at BDL’s advanced facilities in India. Rafael also announced that it is advancing a landmark partnership that will culminate in a Technical Collaboration Agreement (TCA) to formalize plans for the local production of the Spike LR2, a 5th-generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). This collaboration builds upon a previous MoU, which laid the groundwork for the strategic partnership between BDL and Rafael. The TCA is poised to enable a significant transfer of manufacturing capabilities and critical technologies, aligning with the Government of India’s “Make in India” initiative and meeting the Ministry of Defence’s Indigenous Content (IC) requirements.

The Ice Breaker is a long-range, autonomous precision-guided missile that can strike targets as far as 300 km. The Ice Breaker weapon system belongs to a new generation of long-range missile that are resilient to GNSS-denied arenas, electronic warfare and decoys and yet relatively affordable to procure and maintain, along customer nations to build their combat mass of such missiles. This 5th-generation lightweight weapon system is capable of air to ground and surface to surface launches, offering the Indian Armed Forces an agile, long-range standoff attack solution designed to meet the evolving challenges of modern battlefields. “We are honored to deepen our partnership with BDL by together bringing the production of the Ice Breaker to India. This agreement reflects our commitment to supporting India’s defense ecosystem with state-of-the-art technology while fostering indigenous capabilities in line with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision and under the leadership of our partners at BDL,” said Yoav Tourgeman, CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

 “This partnership aligns with the Government of India’s "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" initiative, emphasizing indigenous manufacturing and transfer of critical technologies,” a company release stated. Commodore A. Madhavarao (Retd.) CMD of BDL said, “Producing the Ice Breaker in India will allow our companies to provide an advanced, game changing system to the local market. We are confident in this partnerships potential in boosting local industry and supporting the Indian armed forces.”

The new missile system is showcase of Rafael’s growing prowess in this arena and design on the weapon system began five years ago, with company eyeing the need for tactical strike missiles operating in a GNSS denied environment, with the capability to penetrate increasingly capable Air Defence (AD) networks. The Ice Breaker weapon system was planned as right from the start as a missile that could be operated from air, land and sea with the capability to engage targets on land and sea. Various warheads are available and the standard warhead features a very high intensity explosive charge.

In addition to the Spike LR2, Rafael and BDL are reaffirming their cooperation on the SPIKE ER2. “The collaboration on the Spike LR2 represents the deep strategic alignment between Rafael and BDL, built on mutual trust and a shared vision. The local production of the Spike LR2 will not only enhance the Indian Army’s operational capabilities but also underscores our commitment to supporting India’s defense manufacturing ecosystem. With BDL’s exceptional production capabilities and Rafael’s technological edge, we are confident in the long-term potential of this cooperation to strengthen India’s defense and industry,” Tourgeman said. Both firms are working together to establish a robust production framework for this next-generation missile, aimed at enhancing the operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces’ helicopter fleets.