Israeli weapons specialist Rafael will help Singapore build a missile assembly plant as part of a deal to sell the country its Spike and NT-D anti-tank missiles.
The Singapore army has selected the Spike while the air force is evaluating both missiles for use with its combat helicopters , including recently ordered Boeing AH-64 Apaches.
Singapore's ministry of defence has stipulated that the missiles be assembled locally and that know-how be transferred to enable future upgrades.
The Singaporean armed forces recently carried out their first live firings of the Spike. The missile, with a range of 4 km (2.5 miles), weighs 13 kg (29 lb), allowing a helicopter to carry 16 of them. The NT-D is an enlarged Spike, with a range of 6 km and weighing 30 kg.
The two missiles are designed for lofted attack and are equipped with tandem warheads. They combine an imaging infrared seeker with a fibre-optic link to the command launch unit, allowing operator control if, for example, a change of target is required.
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(taken from Flight International, 25 - 31 Augus 1999))