Rafael integrating SPICE 1000 stand-off munition on Israeli F-35s

JERUSALEM — Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced today that for the first time it is “integrating its SPICE 1000 air-to-surface munition on the F-35 fighter aircraft,” a move it sees as a “significant step” in allowing other F-35 users to use the munition.

SPICE stands for Smart, Precise Impact and Cost-Effective and refers to a line of munitions meant to provide a stand-off strike capability of more than 75 miles (120km). The group of weapons, marketed as SPICE 2000, 1000 and 250 — denoting the munitions’ weight in pounds — have been around for years as part of Rafael’s line of systems. Spice 1000 has been operational with the Israel Air Force since 2017.

Israel is one of the 20 countries that have acquired the F-35 and was the first to use it in combat in 2018. Israel recently decided to acquire another 25 of the fifth-generation aircraft, for a total of 75. The integration with the F-35, “being carried out as a joint project” between Rafael and F-35-maker Lockheed Martin over the next several months in the US, is expected to enable the Spice munition to be used with Israeli F-35i aircraft. “At a later stage, F-35 operators worldwide will be able to field SPICE 1000,” Rafael said.

A Pentagon report [PDF] from April, that was cleared for publication in August, noted the SPICE integration on F-35s, saying it “continues to progress with a strategy to accelerate the implementation via a SPICE Lite process.” It did not say to what SPICE Lite referred.

Rafael said today that SPICE is “equipped with an electro-optical seeker. The munition homes in on its target using advanced scene-matching algorithms and is optimized for the challenges of the modern battlefield.”

Rafael also has worked with Lockheed Martin on SPICE in the past. In 2019 the company signed a teaming agreement to jointly develop, market and manufacture SPICE guidance kits for US sales. 

At the time Yuval Miller, executive vice president and general manager of Rafael’s Air & C4ISR Division said, “finalizing this exclusive agreement sets the scene for our two companies to provide unmatched mid-range guided air-to-surface weapon systems to enhance mission flexibility and success.” 

In 2021 the two companies “expanded” the teaming agreement so they could jointly develop SPICE 250 “for sale in the United States and in Poland.”