Israel Aerospace Industries HAROP loitering munition

Overview:

The HAROP is ‘a standoff loitering munition attack weapon system designed to locate and precisely attack targets’, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).^[1]IAI, HAROP loitering munition system, https://www.iai.co.il/p/harop. Other sources used for this system include: IAI, HAROP brochure, … Continue reading The HAROP loiters over its field of operation before ‘diving’ into its target.

Autonomy:

IAI states that HAROP ‘searches, finds, identifies, attacks, and destroys targets’ and that it is controlled ‘via a two-way data link for full man-in-the-loop operation.’ However, it is also reported that the HAROP can be utilised autonomously. The HAROP reportedly uses its ‘camera system and operator to track and engage moving targets or its radiation-seeker to sniff out and attack radar sites on its own. It can even be equipped for both missions at the same time, so that if a radar site were to go offline after a Harpy detected it, it can fly to its location and use electro-optical targeting to locate and kill it.'^[2]The Drive, ‘Meet Israel’s ‘suicide squad’ of self-sacrificing drones, https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/4760/meet-israels-suicide-squad-of-self-sacrificing-drones

Other:

A HAROP attack can reportedly be aborted by the operator to avoid collateral damage. The loitering munition returns to the loitering mode when the attack mission is aborted.