New Collaboration Set to Enhance U.S. Military Capabilities
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has announced a memorandum of understanding with Israeli defense contractor Rafael to manufacture a cutting-edge long-range, precision-guided strike missile in the United States. Named Bullseye, this innovative missile will be capable of being launched from air, ground, or sea platforms and will draw upon the design of Rafael’s Ice Breaker missile.
Delivering a High-Performance Precision Strike Solution
“We are excited to work with Rafael to introduce Bullseye, a highly effective deep-strike missile,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Bullseye will be built in the U.S. for delivery to U.S. military customers, supporting a variety of critical Department of Defense and coalition partners’ precision-fires missions. By leveraging Rafael’s extensive investments in the design, maturation, and testing of this unique, modular missile, we can reduce risk and development costs while providing production-scale delivery of a highly capable, high-performance precision-guided missile at significant per-unit cost-savings.”
Current Status and Future Prospects
Although Bullseye is not yet being procured by the Pentagon, it is currently rated at technology readiness level (TRL) 8. This rating system—used by the Defense Department—assesses the maturity of technology with a spectrum from TRL 1, indicating theoretical status, to TRL 10, which denotes fully operational technology proven in real-world environments.
A GA-EMS spokesperson stated that the company is actively engaging with potential U.S. customers across several military branches to assess how Bullseye can meet their operational needs. Additionally, the spokesperson noted that Rafael has approximately 1,200 missiles on order from undisclosed clients, with deliveries anticipated to commence by the end of this year.
Innovative Solutions for Modern Warfare
“By combining Rafael’s combat-proven innovative 5th Generation missile technologies with GA-EMS’s advanced manufacturing, assembly, integration, and test expertise, Bullseye will deliver unprecedented accuracy, flexibility, and affordability,” said Yuval Miller, executive vice president and head of Rafael’s Air & C4ISR Systems Division. “This collaboration will provide warfighters with a state-of-the-art missile system that hits its mark and adapts to evolving mission requirements.”
