The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
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Dirty Little Secrets
Mini-Missiles Mounted on Mini Warships
by James Dunnigan
April 30, 2005
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
The Philippine Navy has been arming small patrol boats with portable anti-tank
missiles, such the Israel's Spike. This is a fire and forget missile, which has
a range of about 8 kilometers. It’s easy to operate, even when the launcher is
bolted to the deck of a small speedboat. The seagoing Spike has proven useful in
dealing with pirates, since the missile reportedly can blow out a hole in the
hull of a fleeing, fast moving, pirate ship.
Other small navies seem to
have done much the same thing for small patrol vessels and improvised fast
attack craft, such as the popular Boghammer. Aside from their value in providing
some serious firepower for small patrol craft, such light anti-tank weapons
(under a hundred pounds for launcher, control system and one missile) have
considerable potential value for terrorists. In some areas of the world the seas
are fairly crowded with large numbers of small vessels, from fishing boats to
trading vessels, through which large merchant ships and even warships have to
make their way. With an 8 kilometer standoff, a weapon like the Spike could do
considerable damage to a merchant vessel, or even a warship, if not physically,
then at least symbolically. While the Israelis are careful who they sell the
Spike to, similar Russian missiles, like the Kornet, have been known to find
their way on to the black market.
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