On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the Secretary of State for Defense at the Ministry of Defence of Spain, Amparo Valcarce, who is responsible for procurement, informed senators from the parliamentary Defense Committee that the acquisition of European-produced MELLS (Mehrrollenfähiges Leichtes Lenkflugkörper-System) anti-tank guided missiles is being considered instead of the original Spike LR2 manufactured by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
MELLS / Photo: EuroSpike
On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the Secretary of State for Defense at the Ministry of Defence of Spain, Amparo Valcarce, informed senators from the parliamentary Defense Committee that a proposal had been submitted to the ministry on February 3 by PAP Tecnos (the Spanish subsidiary of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems).
The company stated that it would be unable to deliver 168 launchers and 1,680 Spike LR2 missiles, intended among other uses as armament for the latest VCR Dragón 8×8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles in the VCI version (40 units), after the government in Madrid terminated the contract in September 2025 as part of a broader embargo on Israeli arms over the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu in the Gaza Strip. The total requirement amounts to 2,300–2,400 missiles for the Army and at least 240 for the Marine Corps. The proposal constitutes a counteroffer to the European consortium MBDA, which has offered the Akeron LP missile.
“On February 3, the company Pap Tecnos, the Spanish firm serving as the prime contractor for the program, submitted a proposal to replace the Israeli Spike LR2 missile through the acquisition of the Mells missile (European Multipurpose Missile System), manufactured by the Czech company CSG, parent company of the Fábrica de Municiones de Granada. The Mells missile is a European development of the Spike missile, but its components are not of Israeli origin,” the Secretary of State for Defence, Amparo Valcarce, explained during her appearance this Wednesday before the Senate Defense Committee.
The proposal is currently under review at the Directorate General for Armaments and Materiel (DGAM) within the Ministry of Defence.
Valcarce explained that the system is compatible with the equipment used by the Army and Marine Corps from both operational and logistical perspectives. This alternative would preserve the participation of domestic subcontractors in the program, ensuring operational autonomy, unlike the acquisition of an entirely new system such as Akeron LP, unless appropriate offset conditions were secured. Subcontractors in the VCR Dragón 8×8 ATGM program include Tecnobit, Escribano, FMG, and Ghenova. Valcarce added that the PAP Tecnos proposal would also incorporate Roeirasa, SCP Sintersa, Propelec, Merales, Complus, Innomelt, and others.
MELLS (Mehrrollenfähiges Leichtes Lenkflugkörper-System) is the German-produced version of Spike LR2, manufactured by the joint venture EuroSpike, comprising Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the German companies Diehl Defence and Rheinmetall Electronics. EuroSpike has an agreement with CSG enabling licensed co-production, and FMG could supply the propulsion unit for MELLS, as it previously did for Spike LR2.
MELLS has been improved over the original version, resulting in a higher unit price. It is the primary anti-tank guided missile of the German Bundeswehr and has been ordered by other European Spike users. Countries that have selected Spike LR2 include Israel, Croatia, Australia, Slovakia, Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, and Switzerland.
However, despite Valcarce’s claims, Rafael holds a 20% stake in EuroSpike and owns key technologies and patents, licensing production in Europe. Therefore, the solution would not represent a complete disengagement from Israeli technology, as required under the embargo.
The fifth-generation Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missile was unveiled on May 29, 2017, and officially presented at the Paris Air Show held June 19–25 that year. The missile can be integrated with any combat vehicle, attack helicopter, naval platform, or SPARC towed launcher, and can also be carried by a single soldier.
The missile weighs 12.7 kg and is lighter than the Spike LR1. Rafael introduced a new tandem shaped-charge warhead with penetration increased by 30%. Its standard maximum range is 5.5 km, while from helicopters, thanks to a radio data link, it can reach up to 10 km. The multi-purpose warhead is fully user-controlled, allowing the operator to determine the moment of detonation.