Game-changer missile from Israel for high-value targets at sea

IDD Update

A missile unveiled by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd Israel, is a  game changer to sea to target high-value maritime targets —  these could be warships, carriers, and in times was war even oil laden cargo vessels headed to enemy ports.

It can be fired from land and also at sea from  ships.  Touted as a 5^th generation missile  for high-value maritime targets, it has a strike range of 300 kms. The ability to launched it from land to hit ships making it one of the  few missiles to do so and provides solid shore based defences.

Called the ‘Sea Breaker’ , a 5^th generation long range, autonomous, precision-guided missile system, enabling significant attack performance against a variety of high-value maritime and land targets. Sea Breaker is a naval and artillery unit force-multiplier, designed to overcome the modern warfare arena challenges, using Rafael’s legacy of high-end precision guided solutions. 

Why it’s a threat

Sea Breaker provides surgical, pin-point precision strikes from stand-off ranges of up to 300 km. It features an advanced IIR (Imaging Infra-Red) seeker, ideal for engagement of maritime and land targets, stationary or moving, in advanced anti-access and area-denial arenas, and in littoral or brown water, including archipelago, as well as for engagements in which previous generation RF-seeker-based missiles are not effective.

Using Artificial Intelligence, Sea Breaker performs deep-learning and big data-based scene-matching, a unique combat-proven Rafael technology, enabling Automatic Target Acquisition (ATA) and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR). The system has full operational capability in areas that have no GPS –type guidance and  in all weather conditions. The missile is jam-resilient. Sea Breaker’s mission profile enables sea-skimming and terrain-following low-level flight above ground.

Flying at high subsonic speeds, Sea Breaker has a multi-directional, synchronized full sphere attack capability, based on predefined attack plans, according to waypoints, azimuth, impact angle and aim point selection, ensuring a high probability of mission success, with a 250 lb. penetration, blast and fragmentation warhead, making a single hit effective enough to neutralize a frigate-sized ship.

The missile’s datalink supports real-time man-in-the-loop decision-making and tactical updates. It also features a mid-flight abort capability and Battle Damage Assessment (BDA).

Not just land, the Sea Breaker can be launched from naval platforms also. These could be fast attack missile boats, to corvettes and frigates. The land version is a central part of the shore defense, based on Rafael’s highly mobile SPYDER launchers. The battery architecture supports standalone launchers, or operation as an integrated solution, with a command and control Unit (CCU) and various sensors, based on customer requirements.