Rafael Advanced Defense Systems on Wednesday unveiled SUPER ICE, a new long-range cruise missile that can be launched from fighter jets, missile boats and ground-based launchers.
SUPER ICE is the newest member of Rafael’s ICE BREAKER family of cruise missiles and builds on the technology developed for it. According to foreign reports, ICE BREAKER missiles were used by the Israeli Air Force in strikes in Iran.
The most significant upgrade is the warhead. SUPER ICE carries a warhead of about 454 kilograms, or 1,000 pounds, roughly the weight of an MK83 bomb and four times heavier than that of the existing ICE BREAKER. The Jerusalem Post reported that the new missile is also faster and has a longer range, though Rafael did not disclose exact figures for either.
According to Rafael, the missile flies at low altitude, following the contours of the terrain, which makes it difficult for enemy radar to detect. It navigates autonomously, operates in all weather conditions and can function in environments where navigation signals are being jammed. Its electro-optical homing system uses high-precision image matching to identify and strike its target. The company says the missile is designed to be detected only shortly before impact, leaving too little time for defenses to respond.
Rafael said SUPER ICE is fully compatible with the launch systems, mission planning and logistics of the rest of the ICE BREAKER family. According to Mako, that means any fighter jet that can carry ICE BREAKER, including the F-15 and F-16, can also carry SUPER ICE. In a demonstration video released by the company, the missile is shown striking the entrance of a fortified underground facility.
“This is the best cruise missile of its kind in the world,” said Rafael chairman Prof. Yuval Steinitz. He described it as the ideal solution for stand-off strikes and for destroying high-value targets, including air defense systems, from long range. He also said SUPER ICE continues a tradition of Israeli cruise missile development that began decades ago with the Popeye missile family.
