About Loitering Munitions
Also known as kamikaze drones or suicide drones, loitering munitions are equipped with a range of advanced sensors, guidance systems, and explosive warheads that enable them to locate, track, and engage high-value targets with pinpoint accuracy.
Loitering munitions are a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicles that are designed to provide unprecedented levels of flexibility and precision in modern warfare. Unlike traditional UAVs that are used for reconnaissance or surveillance, loitering munitions are designed to attack targets directly, making them a game-changer in modern warfare. With their ability to loiter in the air for extended periods and conduct autonomous missions, loitering munitions are rapidly becoming a critical tool in the arsenal of modern militaries around the world.
Loitering Munitions Operational Concept
Loitering Munition systems are launched from a hidden safe position, with very low signature, fly to the target area, loiter above a target, locate and verify targets and strike precisely when the opportunity arises, even if the target appears for only an instant. If the operational situation changes at the last minute, the operator can abort the mission in mid-air, go back to loitering mode, assign a different target or re-engage the same target when conditions are more favourable, or even stop the mission completely.
LMs are controlled by an operator who sees a real-time image of the target and its surrounding area, allowing the capacity to control the exact time, direction and angle of the attack on a static or moving target. This capability provides a significant contribution to the formal target identification and confirmation process.
LMs provide small tactical units independent fire support, with a “one-shot, one-target” accuracy, instead of having them call for support from higher echelon assets or other units.
HERO Loitering Munitions
HERO Family is a series of Loitering Munitions developed and manufactured by UVision Air Ltd. They are specifically designed to provide front-line forces (including Special Forces) with long-range independent fire capability, combined with advanced intelligence gathering ability that until now could only be achieved by complex cooperation between several units and echelons.
The HERO Loitering Munitions are characterized by a unique cruciform wing configuration that enables high manoeuvrability, allowing the operator to maintain ‘eyes-on-target’ and to enable accurate hitting capabilities in constricted battle scenario conditions in complex operational environment.
The smaller models of the HERO series (Hero-30, Hero-90 and Hero-120) are man-portable. They were especially developed in order to fit the unique operational requirements of small, light, forward-deployed tactical units and Special Forces and infantry units. As a result, they are light-weight, and can be transported into the battle, deployed within 2-3 minutes, launched and fully controlled by a single operator. These munitions can also be installed on a variety of vehicles including soft-skin vehicles (Standard and Non-Standard Commercial Vehicles).
The larger models of the HERO series (Hero-400EC, Hero-900 and Hero-1250) are transported and launched from a platform (land vehicles or naval vessels). They were developed in order to fit operational requirements of field-deployed units that are tasked with covering more extended ranges, locating targets and engaging them at bigger distances. As a result, they are vehicle-transported, deployed within several minutes, can fly and loiter for longer time and are equipped with more significant warheads. These LMs can be fully controlled by a single operator from a ground station integrated to the launching vehicle, but can also allow ‘transfer of control’ from the operator to a forward-deployed small force, lightly equipped, that can receive control over the munition and fully utilize it for its missions. (See explanation about transfer of control in the next pages).
Featuring complete connectivity to existing C4 systems, weapons and other observation systems, HERO’s advanced datalink and real-time intelligence delivers up-to-the-minute situational awareness – offering a key tactical advantage to the fighting force.
- Team A identifies the target and launches the LM, and maintains continuous control of the munition.
- Team A handovers the control to another blue force team.
- Team B takes control of the munition and determines whether to continue the attack or abort the mission