Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has unveiled a portable loitering munition that could dramatically change how small ground units fight. The new L-SPIKE 1x weighs just 2.2 kilograms (4.85 pounds)  yet allows a company-sized formation to conduct its own precision airstrike without waiting for artillery, drone operators or air force approval. Rafael is branding it as “the Company Commander’s Army Aviation,” an unmistakable declaration that autonomous strike capability is being pushed down to the lowest levels of combat.

Unlike traditional drones, the system integrates AI-powered target prediction, VIS/IR electro-optical sensors and a 420-gram fragmentation warhead that delivers all-angle lethality. What makes the L-SPIKE 1x even more disruptive is its survivability in the type of hostile environments now seen from Ukraine to Gaza — it is designed to operate without GPS, withstand spoofing and jamming attempts, survive communications blackouts, and function in adverse weather. According to Rafael, the system meets the highest military specifications and has maintained a flawless safety record throughout operational testing.

The munition provides up to 30 minutes of reconnaissance loitering time and 15 minutes when armed, enabling troops to observe a target in real time and strike only when conditions are optimal. Just as important, it can be retrieved and reused if the operator decides not to attack, allowing commanders to gather intelligence without expending ammunition.

The result is an unprecedented shift in tactical authority: reconnaissance, targeting and lethal action are all handled by the same unit in the field. Infantry no longer needs to request help from aviation assets that may be busy, distant or politically restricted from striking.

Rafael has positioned the weapon as part of a much larger evolution in ground combat. The L-SPIKE 1x is the first in a forthcoming family of lightweight loitering systems inspired by the broader SPIKE missile program, which has been exported to 45 countries and integrated into platforms ranging from helicopters to naval vessels.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the newest sixth-generation SPIKE NLOS reaches up to 50 kilometers when launched from a helicopter. It allows operators to hand control of the missile mid-flight to another platform, even enabling a ground unit to finish guiding a missile fired by an aircraft that has already departed the area.

Together, these developments reveal the direction of future warfare. Precision strike capability is no longer the exclusive domain of large militaries or elite aviation units. It is moving into the hands of platoon and company commanders on the ground, collapsing the traditional gap between infantry and airpower.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)