Submarine torpedo strike sends frigate to bottom of sea, proves naval warfare efficacy

Two countries have recently tested newly-made surface-to-surface guided missiles. Greek and Israeli naval forces conducted the acceptance firings of new Rafael-made missile systems. The trials of SPIKE NLOS and ER guided missiles were conducted on October 21 in the wider maritime area of the Northern Cretan Sea.The SPIKE guided missiles were successfully fired from a MACHITIS-class Gunboat and a MARK V Special Operations Craft, confirming the effectiveness and operational value of the new weapon system. Furthermore, cooperation with Israeli Navy vessels contributed to enhancing operational interoperability between the two Navies. Trial also included a torpedo firing from a submarine The trial also included a torpedo firing from a submarine to sink decommissioned frigate HS MPOUMPOULINA (F-463). In addition, Israeli Navy units also conducted guided-missile firings.The Hellenic Navy’s first acceptance firing trials of the Israeli-made SPIKE NLOS and SPIKE ER2 guided missile systems showcased weapons’ power. The exercise took place in the northern Cretan Sea and brought together a wide range of Greek naval assets, air platforms and Israeli missile boats to demonstrate operational readiness and strengthen interoperability between the two navies.The event highlights Greece’s efforts to enhance its maritime strike capabilities while reinforcing its strategic partnership with Israel amid an increasingly complex security environment in the Eastern Mediterranean. Rafael-developed precision-guided weapons The missile firing trials involved two types of Rafael-developed precision-guided weapons. This included the SPIKE Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) missile and the SPIKE Extended Range (ER2) missile. Both systems were successfully launched from their designated platforms, demonstrating the operational value of the new installations.The SPIKE NLOS was fired from a Machitis-class patrol vessel, while the SPIKE ER2 was launched from a Mark V Special Operations Craft. These trials represent a significant step in bringing the new weapon systems into operational service with the Hellenic Navy.The SPIKE NLOS system provides a reported engagement range of up to 32 kilometres, enabling naval units to strike surface targets and support operations against coastal objectives. Its electro-optical and infrared guidance capabilities offer operational flexibility, including engagements against targets that may not be directly visible to the launching platform. Decommissioned Elli-class frigate was struck during guided missile trials The decommissioned Elli-class frigate was struck during the guided missile trials and subsequently sunk by an SUT torpedo fired from a Papanikolis-class Type 214HN submarine. The sequence demonstrated the ability of different naval weapon systems to participate in a coordinated engagement against a surface target.The sinking also highlighted the value of realistic live-fire exercises in validating weapons, training crews and assessing the performance of integrated naval capabilities.For the Hellenic Navy, the event provided an opportunity to demonstrate its newly installed missile systems under operational conditions while showcasing coordination between surface combatants and submarine forces.