Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is integrating the SPICE 1000 precision-guided munition onto Israel’s F-35I Adir stealth fighter in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, with the work taking place at Lockheed Martin facilities in the United States. The programme aims to give the Israeli Air Force a long-range strike option from the fifth-generation platform, extending a weapon already in Israeli service onto the country’s F-35 fleet for the first time.
The SPICE 1000 is a 1,000-lb-class stand-off weapon designed for precision attack and is understood to have a range of more than 120 km, using electro-optical scene-matching guidance that can operate in GPS-denied conditions. The munition already equips Israeli F-15 and F-16 aircraft, so the current effort centres on integration and certification for the Adir rather than the introduction of a new weapon.
No fielding date has been disclosed, although the work is expected to take several months. If completed, the integration could broaden the weapon’s reach beyond Israel, depending on how Rafael and Lockheed Martin proceed with F-35 qualification and any future customer interest.