On April 4, armasuisse selected the model for a new anti-tank missile system with Spike LR2 from Eurospike. It is planned to propose procurement of the weapons systems to Parliament in the 2024 Armed Forces Dispatch.
In order for the Swiss Armed Forces to be able to combat armored targets over greater distances, the ground troops need a long-range anti-tank guided missile system. With this in mind, the Federal Office for Defence Procurement (armasuisse) carried out a market analysis and subsequently requested information on anti-tank guided missiles from various European and American manufacturers. The information on which these requests focused included, for example, the function, the effect, technical data on the operations system, the potential integration in the existing infrastructure, and the commercial framework conditions.
Based on a detailed analysis of the information received, two of the manufacturers met the military requirements expected of the system. Further in-depth information and offers were then obtained from the two manufacturers remaining in the evaluation process.
The decision regarding which anti-tank guided missile system would be used by the Swiss Armed forces fell in favor of the Spike LR2 weapon system. The system produced by Eurospike and already used by numerous European armed forces demonstrated in the evaluation phase that it was the most useful in terms of military capabilities and was also the most attractive offer from a business perspective.
The chosen system is set to be initially used by the infantry on a mobile basis. The system will not be integrated into a carrier platform in the first stage. However, the possibility remains to integrate the Spike LR2 system into vehicles at a later date. Procurement is to be proposed to Parliament in the 2024 Armed Forces Dispatch.
The Spike LR2 is a third-generation anti-tank missile developed by the Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. It is a fire-and-forget, multipurpose missile designed to engage and destroy a variety of armored targets at ranges of up to 5.5 km (3.4 miles).