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Loitering Munitions (LM) have emerged as a disrupting new weapon category following numerous deployments in recent conflicts. This weapon shaped the battlefield and inflicted
damage at scales far beyond its physical size. As a result, armed forces worldwide are interested
in the offensive and defensive aspects of this weapon category as they realize the unique
capabilities enabled by those weapons.
LMs are particularly useful when users seek more flexibility and responsiveness in employing
firepower to quickly spot the enemy and act decisively based on the information acquired by the
weapon itself in real-time. This is a novel approach compared to how other precision-guided
weapons are used – they need a precise location of targets to pursue their attack. To gain
maximum precision, legacy weapons require the location of the targets before launch, even
when the general area of enemy activity is known.
The loitering munitions resemble an alert hunter on the prowl, patiently watching and waiting
for its target to reveal itself, then delivering the lethal blow at the right time. These weapons are
designed to operate in complex arenas and detect hidden stationary targets, those moving on
foot, in vehicles, or at sea. IAI’s family of loitering munitions is the ideal match for the timecritical, elusive, or evasive enemy targets.
Loitering munitions can stay in the area of operation for hours, using sensitive electro-optic or
scanning sensors covering a wide area in which enemy activity is identified. Once the wide-area
scan spots an activity, the electro-optical sensor is quickly pointed in this direction to identify
and acquire the target. Once a positive acquisition is made, the loitering sensor transforms into
a guided weapon, ready to attack the target it has just revealed.
A Legacy of Loitering Munitions
IAI was the first to invent this type of weapon. In the 1980s, IAI pioneered the category of
loitering weapons by introducing the HARPY. It was designed for the autonomous Suppression
of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions, replacing combat aircraft in this ultra-dangerous mission.
The HAROP, which evolved from the HARPY, carries an electro-optical sensor instead of the
Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, converting the weapon into a multi-purpose strike weapon that
was proved as a battle game changer.
The HAROP loitering munition system has fundamentally changed 21st-century warfare. HAROP
operates in a concept of “shoot first and then seek a target,” in which no preliminary
intelligence is needed.
HAROP was also proved in combat, providing tremendous operational impact in pursuing a wide
range of deep-strike missions against high-value targets Operating under harsh battlefield
conditions and electronic countermeasures that prevented other loitering munition systems
from taking off from their launchers, hundreds of the robust and battle-tested HAROP LMs
proved highly effective in combat, delivering 98% of mission success.
Both HAROP and HARPY use highly efficient Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) that provide long
endurance. They are launched from naval or ground-mobile launchers that can deploy multiple
missiles to cover a large area. Able to operate in high or low altitudes, even below the cloud
base, and approach their targets from unexpected directions and at high angles.
Since the introduction of the HARPY in the 1980s to the present day – IAI has successfully
delivered and maintained thousands of these loitering munitions addressing various operational
requirements. Over the years, IAI has continued to update and improve its loitering munition
family of systems to provide up-to-date solutions to evolving operational and user need.
World’s Most Advanced Tactical Loitering Munition – MINI HARPY
While HARPY and HAROP are designed to support long endurance and extended mission range,
the MINI HARPY is a versatile, compact (50 kg) lethal tactical platform, using electric propulsion
for stealth and agility. The MINI HARPY provides approximately 1.5 hours of in-flight endurance,
operating at a range of up to 100 kilometers. MINI HARPY has a powerful warhead containing
seven kilograms of hollow charge and shrapnel (HEDP).
MINI HARPY illustrates IAI’s pioneering and innovative spirit in the field of LMs. It is the first and
only tactical loitering munition equipped with a multi-spectral payload employing AR (Anti
Radiation) and electro-optic seeker, enabling it to cover the entire hemisphere with its AR
sensor. MINI HARPY can utilize both sensors simultaneously, enabling the AR sensor to cue the
camera on board. This capability allows users to cover large areas and look for targets more
effectively rather than searching for them through a straw.
The AR capability of the MINI HARPY enables quick and efficient destruction of Enemy Air
Defence (DEAD) before they cause damage to friendly air targets. MINI HARPY can strike targets
within its 100 km operating range with one-meter accuracy. It enables ground units to extend
operations deeper into a hostile area or employ offensive weapons from far back if necessary.
A Loitering Munition for the Individual Soldier
Another LM weapon essential for tactical and special forces operations is IAI’s ROTEM Vertical
Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) loitering munition. IAI was the first to design and successfully deliver
this tactical LM system which has been proven in different combat occasions since 2019.
Designed for employment by the individual soldier at the small unit level, ROTEM is effective up
to a range of 10 kilometers. It’s simple operation, and robust design makes it highly costeffective.
Lightweight, compact, and affordable, ROTEM enables individual soldiers to gain an elevated
view of the area around them, look over the hills and beyond the line of sight, and strike the
enemy as soon as targets appear. It is specially designed and proven to perform in urban
warfare environments.
The ROTEM carries an electro-optical day and night sensors to give tactical field units an
advantage against adversaries, acting as a sensor and a weapon of opportunity. Unlike a missile
or rocket, it can fly back to be retrieved safely, have its battery replaced, and immediately
deploy on a new mission.
Summary
IAI’s loitering munitions do not only hover in the sky. Like alert hunters, they ensure that ground
forces are monitoring the right area, waiting to detect and destroy targets as soon as they
appear. By empowering the tactical, operational, and strategic levels, IAI’s loitering munitions
enable ground forces and special operations elements to dominate the battlefield with an
overmatching and decisive advantage, overcoming intelligence gaps and dealing effectively with
the elusive ‘disappearing’.
