Rafael Spike Firefly
Country: 
IsraelManufacturer: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Squad-level coaxial loitering munition: 3 kg, 15 min flight time, indoor and urban-environment capability with abort and reuse options.
Squad-level coaxial loitering munition: 3 kg, 15 min flight time, indoor and urban-environment capability with abort and reuse options.
Community
Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- Rafael Spike Firefly
- Alias
- Maoz Firefly
- Manufacturer
- Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
- Country
- Israel
- Year
- 2018
- Category
- Loitering munition
- Class
- Micro (< 250 g)
- Status
- In service
Performance
- Range
- 3 km
- Endurance
- 15 min
- Top speed
- 70 km/h
- Service ceiling
- 1,500 m
- Propulsion
- Elettrica, configurazione coassiale a doppio rotore
Physical characteristics
- MTOW
- 3 kg
- Payload
- 0.35 kg
- Hardpoints
- 0
- Weapons
- Testata HE 350 g (anti-personale e cover urbano)
Onboard systems
- Sensors
- EO/IR doppia telecamera giorno/notte
- Datalink / control
- Datalink digitale criptato LOS 3 km, controllo via tablet rugged
- Launch
- Manuale (tubo dispiegabile)
- Recovery
- Impatto sul bersaglio o richiamo e riuso
Combat use
- ▸IDF operations in Gaza (2023-2024)
- ▸IDF operations in the West Bank (2021-present)
- ▸Operation Swords of Iron, Gaza (2023-2024)
Tags
Main operators
History
Introduced in 2018 as Maoz and renamed Spike Firefly in 2020, it became Israel's first squad-level loitering munition designed for urban combat.
Widely used by the IDF in Gaza operations from 2023.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Spike Firefly is the first loitering micro-UAV designed to be used at squad/platoon level, with an operating weight of just 3 kg and set-up time under one minute.
The drone draws on Rafael's decade of experience with Spike anti-tank missiles and offers abort and return-to-base capability if the target is not confirmed, enabling immediate re-use.
The Firefly was adopted by the IDF in 2020 and used in urban operations in the West Bank and Gaza, demonstrating the ability to hit targets behind cover (e.g. snipers behind walls) thanks to top-attack from above.