Israel Aerospace Industries recently completed a series of flight demonstrations of its HAROP Loitering Munitions in Israel for a foreign customer. These demonstrations follow various other successful operational exercises performed in the last few months for different customers.

The HAROP demonstrated augmented capabilities in the field of observation, flight altitude and loitering, in addition to better maneuvering and target destruction. During the exercises, the missile loitered for several hours until the target was selected. Then, with maximum precision it dived directly on to it.

A HAROP unit is comprised of launchers and a Mission Control Shelter (MCS) which enables missile control with a man-in-the-loop operation, engagement or abort attack capability in real time, thereby avoiding collateral damage. HAROP, with a warhead of 15kg, can be used in a range of battle scenarios, including low and high intensity conflict, urban warfare and counter terror operations.

HAROP is launched from transportable launchers and navigates towards the target area, where it can loiter and search for targets for up to six hours. Once a target, whether stationary or moving, is detected, it is attacked and destroyed. The attack can be performed from any direction and at any attack angle, from flat to vertical. To date, hundreds of HAROP systems have been sold to different customers, for an accumulated amount of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Boaz Levi, IAI Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Systems, Missiles & Space Group said: "The successful flight demonstrations and operational tests reflect HAROP's reliability and quality, together with its advanced technological capabilities. Products from IAI's line of loitering munitions are based on innovative and technological breakthroughs and upgrade the future combat array that includes unmanned systems. There is no doubt that HAROP gives its users significant operational advantages".