Rafael’s New System Extends Rocket Range Up to 50%

Rafael’s New System Extends Rocket Range Up to 50%

rocket range

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Rafael has unveiled its an Electro-Optical Precision Integration Kit – EPIK – transforming unguided surface-to-surface rockets into accurate precision stand-off weapon systems. The kit extends the existing rocket range up to 50% and enables to set the attack angles and define the hitting point up to a pixel level.  

EPIK implements and combines Rafael’s EO and Signal Processing capabilities of Scene- Matching technology to turn an un-guided surface to surface rocket into a precise weapon with a hit accuracy of 3 meters.

The technology is designed to integrate in a simple fashion to rockets ranging from 122 mm to MLRS or GMLRS Variants, enabling true immunity to GPS-denied sectors, enhancing precision, range, and overall effectiveness of the artillery battery. Its main advantage is that the kit does not use GPS to guide the projectile to target. EPIK uses scene-matching as its primary guidance, enabling to overcome GPS jamming, one of today’s major guidance obstacles.

To ensure pinpoint accuracy, the kit is loaded with a reference image (which can be taken by any sensor, even by troops on the ground) comparing it (as the rocket descends) to an onboard mapping database. Multiple different reference images can be loaded to each EPIK-equipped rocket, resulting in a volley of precise guided rockets to multiple different targets, for surgical neutralization of enemy targets.

According to the company announcement, EPIK’s capabilities are based on Rafael’s expertise in Long Range Precision Attack systems. These solutions include the SPIKE Family of EO, precise, tactical missiles for ranges of hundreds of meters to 30 km, which can be launched from land, air and naval platforms. Another precision attack technology Rafael has developed is the SPICE air-to-ground precise EO Add-on kit for air-to-surface bombs, featuring unique scene-matching technology.