Tag: Loitering Weapons

IAI is unveiling at DSEI 2023 a new loitering weapon - Rotem Alpha, a new Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) tactical antitank loitering munition (LM) with capabilities that represent a change in the operational and combat approach to using loitering munitions, providing an advantage in the battlefield.

The 54th Paris Air Show international aerospace exhibition provides an important venue for Israel's aerospace and defense companies featuring new weapons, aerospace systems, space...

IAI has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) of the US Department of Defense (DoD) to rapidly develop and deliver “ROC-X,” a version of the POINT BLANK hybrid-missile system, designed to increase the organic precision strike lethality of small tactical teams. The Point Blank weapon has already been tested in Israel, and IAI plans to deliver the first ROC-X prototypes and training to DoD for Operational Testing and Evaluation in FY-23.

Among many types of loitering missiles and attack drones displayed by the Houthis at the recent parade in Sanaa was the local version of the Iranian Shahed 136 - the Wa'id, new models of Samad and Qhasef, loitering missiles, Rased weaponized mini-drones, VTOL variant of Mersad-2, and the Masir hexacopter weaponized drone that was also demonstrated in formation flight.

Rheinmetall and its partner UVision have won the first order from a major European NATO military force for HERO loitering munitions. The customer, a special forces unit, placed an initial order for Hero-30 combat and training munitions, simulator, training courses as well as integrated logistics equipment and support. This first order is worth a figure in the single-digit million-euro range with possible additional orders that might be expected. The exact number of munitions to be supplied is classified. The order was placed in July 2022, with delivery scheduled to take place by 2023.

Today, Chinese aerospace company ALIT unveiled a new type of loitering weapon at the Thailand Defense and Security 2022 exhibition. The canister-launched version on show in Bangkok has a larger and heavier warhead. The ALIT display at D&S2022 outlines two versions of the weapon. The FH901 has a takeoff weight of 9 kg and carries a warhead of 3.5 kg.

Aircraft and helicopters on both sides used flares extensively but lacked the capacity to face the dense MANPADS on long sorties over the enemy area. Some Russian helicopters were also equipped with electro-optic jammer countermeasures, but these did not prevent losses.

Following the Iranian effort to equip their proxy groups with loitering weapons, Israel is spending great efforts to deny the supply of such weapons to terror groups operating close to its borders. According to the foreign press, Israel has repeatedly attacked Iranian facilities in T4 in eastern Syria, where Iran has set up assembly and training activities, for operators of such weapons.

AeroVironment announced today the receipt of a contract for its new Switchblade 600 loitering missile. The order was received from the Special Operations Command. The allocates $26 million for the delivery of weapons and their integration of the new weapon on specialized maritime platforms operated by US Special Operations Forces. Completion is expected by the end of 2022.

India's leading aerospace manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) unveiled today the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) at the Aero India airshow in Bengaluru. CATS aligned with similar teaming concepts underway in the USA and Europe, integrating manned and unmanned aerial platforms in cohesive, dynamic future air combat.

Aerovironment announced today expanding its loitering weapon family, as it introduced the Switchblade 600 – the largest weapon in the family announced to date. The new weapon employs the tube-launched, collapsible wing, electric propulsion architecture as Switchblade 300, and its Blackwing variant. With longer range, extended mission endurance, and multi-purpose warhead Switchblade 600 expand the warfighter’s capability engaging larger, hardened targets at greater distances.

On the night of September 14, 2019, several attacks rocked two strategic infrastructure sites in Saudi Arabia. One target was a large oil field at Khurais, recently developed by the Saudi national oil company Aramco. The second is the company’s main processing center and one of the world’s largest oil refineries at Buqayq, 200 km northeast of Khurais.

Although Loitering Munitions (LM) have been introduced decades ago, these weapons have gained general acceptance and maturity in recent years, following their operational debut in battlefields in the Caucasus and the Middle East. While several manufacturers already offer various types of ‘suicide drones’, only a few are committed to this category as Israel’s UVision Air, the developer, and producer of the Hero line of loitering missiles that unveiled a range of new members of its Hero family of LMs this week at the recent Paris Air Show. Uvision has already sold Hero LMs to multiple customers, including the Israel Defense Forces, and leading NATO countries.

Selected photos covering some of the robotics, UAVs and counter-UAV systems on display at Eurosatory 2018