Unlike its rivals, it autonomously locks onto moving ships, adapts mid‑course, and ensures single‑hit lethality, even in GPS‑denied environments.
By Hezy Laing
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems recently unveiled the newest version of its Seabreaker, a fifth‑generation smart missile designed to hunt ships with predator‑like precision, locking onto targets and tracking them relentlessly until destruction.
The Seabreaker was introduced in June 2021 as part of Israel’s push to counter evolving maritime threats.
It is a long‑range, autonomous, precision‑guided missile capable of striking both naval and land targets at distances of up to 300 kilometers.
At 4 meters in length and weighing 400 kilograms, the missile carries a 113‑kilogram warhead and is powered by a TRI‑60 turbojet engine.
Seabreaker can neutralize a frigate-sized ship with a single hit.
Its guidance system combines GPS, INS, TERCOM, and an advanced Imaging Infra‑Red (IIR) seeker, enabling it to operate in GNSS‑denied environments and resist electronic warfare.
Rafael emphasizes that the Seabreaker can neutralize a frigate‑sized ship with a single hit, while minimizing collateral damage by discriminating between hostile targets, decoys, and non‑combatants.
The need for such a weapon stems from the proliferation of advanced naval capabilities among regional adversaries.
Iran has invested heavily in fast attack craft, drones, and coastal defense systems, while Hezbollah and Hamas have sought to acquire anti‑ship missiles.
Rafael positions the Seabreaker as a counter to Anti‑Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategies, ensuring Israel and allied navies can maintain freedom of operation in contested waters.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Pini Yungman, head of Rafael’s Air and Missile Defense Division, described the missile as a “force multiplier” for naval and artillery units, capable of delivering pinpoint strikes in littoral and brown‑water arenas.
Compared to competitors, the Seabreaker offers unique advantages.
The American AGM‑158C LRASM has a similar range of 370 kilometers but is heavier and less versatile in land‑attack roles.
The Norwegian Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is lighter and stealthy, with a range of about 185 kilometers, but lacks the Seabreaker’s extended reach and multi‑domain adaptability.
Rafael also developed an air‑launched variant, the Ice Breaker, which can be deployed from fighter aircraft, expanding operational flexibility.
The Seabreaker works by using artificial intelligence, computer vision, and decision‑making algorithms to autonomously identify, lock onto, and pursue targets.
Once launched from warships or land‑based launchers, it flies at sea‑skimming altitude, evading radar detection, and continuously adjusts its trajectory to track moving ships until impact.
This predator‑like capability ensures that even evasive maneuvers cannot prevent destruction.
