Отраслевые источники подтверждают, что Колумбия приобретает управляемые ракеты большой дальности Spike-NLOS производства израильской компании Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, сообщает infodefensa.com.
Новые ракеты являются частью программы обновления вертолетов AH-60L Arpía III ВВС Колумбии до стандарта Arpía IV. В рамках этой программы будут модернизированы 12 вертолетов, обновление включает установку новых видов оружия и оборудования, таких как система передачи данных и оптикоэлектронная станция Rafael Toplite.
Spike-NLOS является современной экспортной версией ракеты Tamuz с дальностью до 25 км и весом 70 кг. Ракета может оснащаться всеми типами боевых частей семейства ракет Spike, состоящих на вооружении Армии обороны Израиля.
An event that occurred during the Second Lebanon War, demonstrates the advanced capabilities of the missile. "I was in the air, over the sea between Tyre and Sidon, waiting for the order. I was quickly contacted by headquarters and given a target: a vehicle on the road between Tyre and Sidon and I had to hit it as soon as possible. As soon as I was within launching range, I shot a Tammuz missile towards the target", explains Colonel (res.) Tzvika, a former pilot in the "First combat" helicopter squadron.
"From afar, the vehicle looked like a small target but as the missile approached the target, I identified it better until it was very clear. A moment before it hit, I saw through the camera the word "TV" on the car's side, meaning that the vehicle belonged to the media or to journalists and when I received the orders I wasn't told that the vehicle would be marked that way. I had exactly a second to decide what I would do and I decided not to take the risk of hitting civilians. At the last moment, I moved the missile and I didn't hit the car". Shortly thereafter, Colonel (res.) Tzvika made contact with headquarters and reported what he saw through the camera. He was told that the issue was known and to hit the car despite the marking.
"After the second order, I fired another missile towards the car and I destroyed it. When I returned to the squadron after the attack I decided to delve deeper into the subject and I checked intelligence information. It turned out that they tracked the car for several days and it turned out a Hezbollah commander of the region was traveling in the car. I discovered that they did not inform me about the camouflage in the form of a press vehicle because at headquarters no one imagined that the missile camera would reach such a high level of visibility and accuracy".
