Vietnam has signed a $250-million contract with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to locally produce the Spike Firefly loitering munition.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense has reportedly signed a $250-million contract with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to locally produce the Spike Firefly loitering munition, known as the Maoz in Hebrew.
According to Intelligence Online, the system will be produced at a facility in Vietnam, supported by technology transfer from Israel.
A Vietnamese company will operate the facility after receiving the necessary production licenses from Israeli authorities, the French outlet reported.
For Urban Warfare
Spike Firefly is a 3-kilogram (6.6-pound) tactical loitering munition designed for urban combat environments, where restricted situational awareness and the risk to noncombatants limit the use of traditional fire support.
The system is armed with a 350-gram (12.6-ounce) fragmentation or shaped-charge warhead and offers an effective range of up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) in dense urban environments and up to 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) in open terrain.
Spike Firefly has an endurance of 15 to 30 minutes, depending on whether it is configured with one or two battery packs, with standby endurance extending to up to two hours.
The Israel Defense Forces have previously employed the system operationally during fighting in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack.
