Rafael, Lockheed accelerate SPICE 1000 integration on Israeli F‑35s

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Lockheed Martin are accelerating the integration of SPICE 1000 precision-guided munitions onto Israeli F-35 Adir stealth fighters, as detailed in a Pentagon report and announced at the AFA conference. The SPICE family has been used extensively in long-range missions against Iran and Yemen.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Lockheed Martin are accelerating the integration of SPICE 1000 precision-guided munitions onto the Israel Air Force's F-35 Adir stealth fighters. The joint project is being carried out at Lockheed Martin facilities in the United States, as announced during AFA's Air Space & Cyber conference in Washington. The acceleration was detailed in the Pentagon's F-35 Modernized Selected Acquisition Report published in early August 2026. The SPICE 1000 has a stand-off range of 125 km and a circular error probable of 3 meters. Both the SPICE 1000 and the smaller SPICE 250 have been employed in long-range missions against Iran during Operation Rising Lion in 2025 and Operation Roaring Lion in 2026. The SPICE family has also been used extensively in Yemen, including against explosive-laden tow boats in coastal harbors. The upgrade comes alongside the January 2026 arrival of three F-35s equipped with Technology Refresh 3 hardware. According to Rafael, the SPICE will be carried in the internal weapons bay of TR-3 platforms, providing Israel with its qualitative military edge. At a later stage, F-35 operators worldwide will be able to field SPICE 1000. The article also notes that Israel announced in May 2026 it would double its F-35 fleet from 50 to 100 and its F-15IA fleet from 25 to 50.