Israeli F-35s to Receive SPICE 1000 High-Precision Munitions

The Israeli company Rafael, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, is accelerating the integration of the SPICE 1000 high-precision munition into the F-35I Adir fighter jet.

Rafael announced this during the Air, Space, and Cyber Symposium conference.

The work is being carried out at Lockheed Martin facilities in the U.S. The integration process is expected to take several months. Rafael notes that in the future, the SPICE 1000 may become available not only to Israeli F-35I fighters but also to other operators of the F-35 family of fighter jets.

The integration of this munition was previously mentioned in official U.S. Department of Defense documentation. In an August report on the F-35 program, the munition is designated as the Israel-unique Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective 1000B—SPICE 1000B.

The document noted that plans are in place to accelerate its integration using the so-called “SPICE Lite” process. Details of this approach were not disclosed.

SPICE 1000 munition

SPICE is a family of high-precision air-launched munitions equipped with an electro-optical guidance system. It includes the SPICE 250, SPICE 1000, and SPICE 2000. The numerical designation roughly corresponds to the munition’s weight class.
The SPICE 1000 is based on a 1,000-pound (approximately 454 kg) class aerial bomb. After release, it deploys its wings, allowing it to engage targets at a range of about 125 km. According to the manufacturer, the stated circular error probability is approximately three meters.

For guidance, the munition uses inertial and satellite navigation in combination with an electro-optical homing head. During the terminal phase of flight, the system can compare images of the terrain with preloaded images of the target.

Thanks to this, the SPICE 1000 is capable of continuing guidance even in the absence of or when GPS signals are jammed. After being dropped, the munition can autonomously guide itself to the target. Additionally, prior to deployment, the approach direction and angle of attack can be set to strike fortified targets from above.

The SPICE 1000 has been in service with the Israeli Air Force since 2017. The munition is integrated with the F-16C/D Barak, F-15I Raam, and F-15 Bazs fighter jets.

Currently, Israel is the only foreign operator of the F-35 that has been granted expanded authority to integrate its own systems into the aircraft. The F-35I Adir version is equipped with Israeli communications, electronic warfare, and software components and is adapted for the use of national weapons.

In November 2023, the United States announced the provision of SPICE precision-guided bombs to Israel totaling approximately $320 million.