[ Asia Times] Israeli Sea Breaker missile touted for US Navy

aSources say the long-range, precision-guided missile is far superior to similar US Navy systems

Flying at high subsonic speeds and following terrain or skimming the water, Sea Breaker has a multi-directional, synchronized, full-sphere attack capability for day/night all-weather use.

Its datalink supports real-time, man-in-the-loop decision-making and features a 250 lb. penetration blast and fragmentation warhead — enough to neutralize a frigate-sized ship with a single hit.

Autonomous, precision-guided and effective against a variety of high-value maritime and land targets, it is superior and cheaper than any similar weapon system used now by the US Navy.

Rafael says that the fifth-generation Sea Breaker missile system provides surgical, pinpoint precision strikes from stand-off ranges of up to 300 km (186 miles).

Sea Breaker features an aerodynamic airframe with an integrated aft air intake underneath the missile, a cruciform tail assembly, and a mid-body, backwards-stowed deployable wing assembly. 

It also features an advanced IIR (Imaging Infra-Red) seeker, making it ideal for engagement of maritime and land targets, stationary or moving.

One of the sources said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the new missile, combined with other technologies, “makes the difference.”

The source was reluctant to elaborate, but said that the AI enables the missile to achieve outstanding results against a variety of targets, “stationary and evasive.”

Israeli defense experts also said the missile’s price will be “much less” than the price of any similar, yet less capable, missile as the result of using existing combat-proven technologies that are incorporated into other weapon systems made by the company.