| Bullseye | |
|---|---|
| Type | Cruise missile |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Rafael Advanced Defense Systems |
| Manufacturer | General Atomics / Rafael Advanced Defense Systems |
| Developed from | Rafael Ice Breaker |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | <1,000 lb (450 kg) in 'Maritime Strike' configuration |
| Length | <4 meters (13.1 ft) |
| Wingspan | >2 meters (6.6 ft) |
| Maximum firing range | >300 km (190 mi) |
| Warhead | General purpose high-explosive or penetrating warhead |
| Warhead weight | 250lb or 500lb |
| Engine | Small Jet engine |
Guidance system | GPS+TERCOM Electro Optical IIR (Terminal) |
Launch platform | Fighter aircraft M270 MLRS Mk-41 VLS |
The Bullseye is an air-launched, low-observable cruise missile produced by General Atomics Electromagnetic Services (GA-EMS) based on the Ice Breaker developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. [1]
Early renderings of the missile were first publicly seen at the Surface Navy Association annual symposium in January 2025, at which a placeholder render was displayed under the generic name "Strike Missile". [2] The render showed a slab-sided design with an air-breathing propulsion system and a single ventral intake.
In February 2025, India’s state-owned arms manufacturer Bharat Dynamics Limited was reportedly interested in signing an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to co-produce the Ice Breaker. [3]
On April 7 at the Sea-Air-Space 2025 conference, General Atomics announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to produce a variant of the Rafael Ice Breaker missile in the United States which would be named Bullseye. [1] [2] According to General Atomics, discussions with Rafael began several years prior but concentrated efforts did not begin until July 2024. [1] A full-sized mockup of the weapon was displayed at the event, which departed from the placeholder design shown in the January renders for a version that appeared identical to the Ice Breaker. [2] Under the MOU, General Atomics will be the prime contractor to manufacture the missile in the U.S., at its site in Tupelo, Mississippi. [2] At least half of the missile will be built in the United States. [4]
The missile was unveiled to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth the week prior to the Sea-Air-Space 2025 event. [2]
Bullseye is a variant of Rafael's Ice Breaker missile, which was first revealed in 2022. [1] Ice Breaker is an air-launched, low-observable missile with a 300 km (260.7 n mile) range; it has been flight qualified and tested but not yet operationally employed, with operational deliveries expected in late 2025 or early 2026. [1] General Atomics characterizes Bullseye as a Very Low Observable (VLO) long range, precision-guided missile with multi-platform launch capabilities from ground, sea and air platforms and built-in autonomous capability to identify and engage hostile targets with a variety of warhead payloads and propulsion requirements. [5] It has a modular design that is capable of anti-ship, anti-surface, electronic warfare, decoy operations, as well as undefined "other" missions; however it will initially be sold for maritime strike. [2] [5] It can be canister-launched from a Mk 41 Vertical Launch System or fired from an M270 MLRS. [2]
The missile is optimized for deep strike scenarios in all-weather conditions, and designed to operate in anti-access/area denial environments. [5] Intended launch platforms include fixed wing fighters and light attack aircraft, helicopters, small maritime vessels, and ground vehicles. [5] Similar to other Rafael-designed missiles such as the Spike-LR, the missile features man-in-the-loop decision capability as a backup, but is otherwise fully autonomous. [5] [6] According to General Atomics, it supports advanced mission planning features including synchronized attack capability, and can engage targets independently through automatic target recognition. [5] According to Yuval Miller, head of Rafael's Air & C4ISR Systems Division, it is a "fifth-generation missile" due to its ability to operate in GPS-denied environments for the entire duration of flight and its resiliency against threats. [2] It can perform sea-skimming flight profiles in anti-ship strike missions, and has terrain-avoidance capability for nap-of-the-earth flight on land. [2]
The missile's length is under four meters (13.1 feet) with a wingspan of over two meters (6.6 feet) when deployed, which is similar to the Ice Breaker. [2] The chassis features fold-out wings and cruciform-shaped tail fins, with a single ventral turbojet air intake. [3] Gross weight will vary based on the payload, but typically will weigh under 1,000 pounds with a strike radius in excess of 300 kilometers (186 miles). [2] The range is expected to compete with the similarly-sized Joint Strike Missile, but at a lower cost. [2] The propulsion system is an undetermined mark of small jet engine. [2] The missile comes in two warhead size-classes of 250lb and 500lb, each with a general purpose high-explosive variant and a penetrating variant. [2] The seeker technology is directly leveraged from the Ice Breaker's electro-optical imaging infrared sensor through a trapezoidal nose cone, which features scene-matching and automatic target recognition capabilities. [2] According to The Aviationist, the two arrays located on top of the nose cone are speculated to be either related to a satellite link or counter-jamming equipment. [3] Navigation is provided through an inertial navigation system (INS) with jam-resistant GPS and terrain contour matching (TERCOM). [3]