Loitering with the L-Spike 4X from Rafael

Loitering munitions have long been used by Western armed forces but have gained renewed interest because of their use in Ukraine. One challenge they face is the flight time to a target. Rafael’s L-Spike 4X aims to address this. 

Rafael Advanced Defence Systems is using the AUSA expo to launch its L-Spike 4X, a version of the venerable Spike anti-tank guided missile with loitering capabilities built in, the company announced on October 9. 

The new munition introduces “missile-grade loitering capability to the SPIKE family, combining high speed transit, seeker precision and mission persistence,” the press release states. Using a rocket motor, the missile can reach the edge of its 40 km engagement envelope in just five minutes. It can then provide a 25 minute loitering time over that area. 

It is worth comparing this to some other loitering munitions in the field. The Helsing HX-2 has a top speed of 220 km/h, for example, which would take 11 minutes to reach 40 km once launched. However, it is unlikely that it can travel at this speed for long periods of time, and doing so could drain its batteries, reducing the loiter time once there. The Hero-120 is similar with a cruise speed of 90 km/h, the Switchblade 600 cruises at around 110 km/h, and Russia’s Lancet at around 80-110 km/h. For all of these loitering munitions, the flight time out to 40 km is between 20 and 30 minutes, which is a long time to wait for fire support. 

Admittedly, the tactics in Ukraine may see a loitering munition deployed independently to hunt for targets, in which case the time to strike is measured in seconds. In others, a reconnaissance drone and munition might be co-deployed if there is a degree of certainty that there is a target in the area. So, in those cases, the flight time to target is accounted for and acceptable within the concept of operations. But generally speaking, a short flight time to target is preferable – it reduces detection and response times, increases the probability that the target is still there when it arrives, and can help engage targets faster. 

As is fairly standard for weapons in this category, the L-Spike 4X is built for AI and includes a degree of autonomy with a human in the loop. This is coupled with what the company describes as hardened communications links and the ability to operate in GPS-denied environments. The AI functions support target detection and recognition, and the autonomy that enables a user to maintain control over as many as four missiles simultaneously. 

This, to some extent, reflects earlier ambitions to counter Soviet armour. Missiles like the UK’s Brimstone were designed to provide massed precision effects against a group of armour, with a relatively high degree of autonomous target detection. Having four munitions over a target enables follow-on strikes if one is unsuccessful, or engagement of several elements simultaneously. Russia will routinely engage the radar of an air defence system with a Lancet, presumably because that is the hardest part to replace. But three Lancets could address the entire system in one engagement. 

Finally, the L-Spike 4X is designed to carry a tandem High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead. Given Rafael’s pedigree in this field with the Spike family, this warhead is likely capable of defeating most modern tanks. A multi-purpose warhead variant will also be available, improving the utility of the munition against personnel and soft targets. 

Calibre comment: L-Spike 4X, purpose built

Loitering munitions have been used for a long time. The US forces deployed to Afghanistan were using the Switchblade 300 from around 2012, for instance. In that theatre the engagement ranges were relatively short and the driving factor around the adoption was the need to defeat an insurgent without levelling the village he had fired from. So, the flight time of Switchblade 300, which was around 10-15 minutes at the time, was acceptable. It didn’t have to fly far – maybe a kilometre or two – and needed enough loiter time to find the target and engage. In Ukraine, there has been a steady increase in the ranges involved, with both sides trying to strike deeper, but from further to the rear of their own troops. Because of this, endurance and range, cost, and EW resistance, have become key design requirements. However, increased speed to target may be a defining characteristic for Western forces looking to increase their tactical lethality. The L-Spike 4X seems to be an early entrant in this field, and its ability to be fired from an existing Spike missile launcher may further increase its appeal. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on October 10, 2025. The lead image is a concept image of the L-Spike 4X. Credit: Rafael Advanced Defence Systems.