One of the first systems developed in the mid-80s by the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries was named Harpy. This weapon system for suppressing enemy air defense (SEAD - Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) has reduced the number of combat aircraft performing such tasks, and, as a result, the risk of being shot down by enemy surface-to-air missiles. On the apparatus with a length of 2, 7 meters with a deltoid wing span of 2, 1 meters, a Wankel UEL AR731 engine with a capacity of 38 hp is installed, rotating a pusher propeller located in the rear, 32 kg of explosive is placed in the front compartment. The vehicle launched from the container flies at a cruise speed (maximum speed 185 km / h) to the target area (maximum flight range 400-500 km), where it can circle for a couple of hours, choosing a target. The receivers of a completely autonomous vehicle allow you to catch the signals of the control station and direct it to the target. The homing system integrates advanced algorithms that provide a high level of autonomy. In the late 2000s, IAI, taking the experience of the Harpy project as a basis, developed the Nagor apparatus, into which an optoelectronic target load and a data transmission channel were integrated, due to which an operator was introduced into the control loop. The main task of this apparatus remains SEAD, although it can be used for other types of targets. The wingspan increased to 3 meters, and the length to 2.5 meters, the mass of the warhead was reduced to 23 kg, and the range was increased to 1000 km. The newest member of the family is the Harpy NG system, for which the body of the Nagor apparatus was taken. It is equipped with a digital seeker (GOS), covering a wider frequency range of 0.8-18 GHz compared to the 2-18 GHz of previous models. The takeoff weight is 160 kg, the flight duration is about 10 hours. The Harpy / Nagor family is in service with the Israeli army and about 8 other countries.
In the late 2000s, IAI turned its attention to the tactical sphere and developed smaller loitering ammunition with a shorter range. Green Dragon ME (M - medium size, E - electric) is capable of performing SEAD tasks thanks to a radio frequency seeker 1-4 GHz, an optoelectronic seeker and a communication channel. Traditional glider with inverted V-tail; a view reconnaissance station is installed in the lower aft part of the fuselage. With a maximum take-off weight of about 40 kg, 7-8 kg is assigned to combat equipment. The range of the Green Dragon ME is about 50 km, and the time spent in the air is about 90 minutes. The smaller Green Dragon ammunition is equipped only with an optical-electronic seeker. The device without a launch container weighs 15 kg, has a length of 1.6 meters, when deployed, the wingspan is 1.7 meters; it can reach a maximum speed of 110 knots, a patrol speed of 65-85 knots, a flight duration of 75 minutes and a flight range of 40 km. It is equipped with a universal warhead weighing 2.5 kg, which is effective against manpower and armored vehicles. All devices of the family fit into a launch container 2 meters long, 0.3 meters in diameter and 25 kg in weight. The device leaves it thanks to the impulse motor, then the electric motor turns on and it flies on its own to the target area. The presence of the operator allows you to interrupt the execution of the task or restart the attack, the methods of attack vary from small to almost vertical angles. Both Green Dragon variants are fully finished and contracted products.
Reducing the weight of its products further, the IAI company developed the Rotem 1200 model, the number indicates the mass in grams of a warhead, which in this case consists of two M-67 hand grenades. The quadcopter weighs 5.8 kg, an optoelectronic load on a three-axis gyro-stabilized gimbal is installed in the front of the fuselage. The whole complex consists of two devices, a ground control station in the form of a tablet, in which a communication center is built; the weight of the whole set is 16.7 kg. Instead of a container with military equipment, the Rotem 1200 can be equipped with a container with a micro-station for aerial reconnaissance; optionally, radio reconnaissance equipment or fire detection sensors can also be installed. The flight range is 10 km, the operating altitude is 300 meters, the flight duration is 30 minutes with combat equipment and 45 minutes with a reconnaissance container, the attack accuracy is less than one meter. The smaller system, known as the Rotem 500, can carry one hand grenade. Both Rotem variants are the only recoverable vehicles in IAI's line of loitering ammunition. The Rotem 1200 is already in service and the Rotem 500 is ready for sale. When asked about the "swarm capabilities" of these devices, the IAI representative replied that he did not comment on this.
The Israeli company UVision is perhaps the only existing company that deals exclusively with loitering ammunition. She has developed a family of HERO systems ranging from tactical, operational and strategic models. There are 7 systems in its catalog, although it is clear that only some of them are actually embodied in serial samples. “At the moment, we are focused on the sale of three products - HERO-30, HERO-120 and HERO-400,” - said a company representative, stressing that the HERO-900 version still exists only on paper. This variant is the only one of the entire line that does not have a cruciform configuration, which has become the hallmark of Uvision. The company considers it to be the best solution with increased lift, which allows you to get the optimal duration of flight to the target and during loitering and at the same time provide good maneuverability for hitting stationary and moving targets with high accuracy. Upon exiting the launch pod, HERO deploys two pairs of cruciform wings along with the propeller blades. The propeller and the electric motor are located in the rear of the vehicle, the sensor station with day and thermal imaging cameras, mounted on a three-axis gyro-stabilized suspension, is located in the nose of the vehicle. Also, the warhead is equipped with a three-mode laser fuse, which can be set in the following modes: remote, shock and delayed. UVision is optimizing its HERO systems to maximize the payload over its size. The company offers its HEROs with a standard universal warhead of its own design, however, according to its representative, it is ready to integrate a third-party combat load. "We have already launched a joint development program, the customer chose another company." Although HERO systems are capable of autonomous, semi-autonomous and manual modes depending on the requirements of the task, it is clear that the operator option is definitely the preferred choice, at least in Western countries.
HERO-30 is a lightweight short-range solution for frontline units; the communication channel allows it to be 5 or 10 km away, the flight duration is 30 minutes, the speed is from 50 to 100 knots. The duration of the patrol over the target area is 20 minutes. The device is launched from a launch tube 0.95 meters long using a low-noise pneumatic system with a low thermal signature; the whole set weighs 7.5 kg. The device itself weighs 3.5 kg, has a length of 780 mm and a wingspan of 800 mm; working heights range from 180 to 450 meters. The attack is carried out along a steep trajectory, while kinetic energy is added to the power of the warhead weighing 500 grams. “The HERO-30 is fully operational,” a company spokesman said. “We have signed agreements with some NATO countries and the special forces will be the first users of this system.”
Another product, ordered by a NATO country, was first shown at the Paris Air Show in 2019. The larger HERO-120 system has a length of 1340 mm, a wingspan of 1410 mm and a mass of 12 kg, with a warhead weighing 4.5 kg, the flight range is up to 40 km, and the flight duration is 60 minutes. The HERO-120 launches from a rail or disposable container. The launch from the container is carried out using a high-pressure pneumatic system, in case of termination of the task, the device returns by parachute. Likewise, the HERO-400EC is launched (EC is an electric cruciform, as opposed to the HERO-400 with a gasoline engine and flat fenders). This device, 2100 mm long and with a wingspan of 2400 mm, weighs 40 kg, the flight duration is 2 hours, while the operating range is 40 or 150 km, depending on the installed data channel. Ammunition with 10 kg of combat load can hover over the target area for more than 70 minutes. “Today we have two customers, one from NATO and the other from a major allied power, both have ordered a limited number of systems for operational evaluation.” At the Paris Airshow, UVision showed a six-container launcher in a light vehicle capable of launching the HERO-30 and HERO-120; for the HERO-400 model, a larger version is available, installed on armored vehicles of the JLTV class. For this model, another solution is available - a launch from a standard MLRS launcher container, which houses two Nego-400ES ammunition.
In addition to the aircraft itself, UVision has developed an operator control unit and a set of communication equipment. The customer, who decides to install the complex on the machine, is free to decide whether the control system should remain with the launcher or be remote. Training systems and a built-in simulator are also available to customers.
UVision is watching with interest any breakthrough in battery technology that would increase flight time. “Our HERO systems are modular, meaning any improvement in energy storage can be easily integrated into them,” a company spokesman said. The developers are also considering the possibility of using other types of sensors in order to meet the requirements of some customers, but so far this is kept secret.
With vast experience in the field of mini-UAVs, the Israeli company Elbit Systems has developed and presented its SkyStriker ammunition at the Paris air show, which is structurally a traditional glider with lengthened wings. With a maximum take-off weight of 40 kg and a range of 40 km, it can take a combat load of 5 or 10 kg, and then the flight duration is two or an hour, respectively. The fuse of the cumulative fragmentation warhead operates in a delay mode. The aerodynamic characteristics are quite different from those of the Skylark UAV, since the SkyStriker needs to loit at low speed and dive at maximum speed. Nevertheless, Elbit Systems borrowed some components from the UAV, for example, the data channel and the catapult. During the flight, the warhead is not cocked, the operator brings it into a combat position when ready for an attack. However, full cocking occurs only when the device, when diving, reaches a certain speed and height, and only after that it becomes an explosive device. This allows the machine to be returned if the job is canceled; in this case, a visual indicator shows the search group whether the ammunition is cocked or not, which makes it possible to handle it accordingly.
The Turkish company STM has developed two assassin drones: the aircraft-type Alpagu and the helicopter-type Kargu. The Alpagu model is launched from a square container thanks to a pneumatic device. The main wings and tail of the vehicle are deployed after launch, the electric motor rotates the pusher propeller installed in the tail section. The operator controls the device via the video channel; Alpagu itself is capable of detecting and classifying fixed and moving targets, such as cars and people, thanks to image processing algorithms. Here STM has applied its rich experience in artificial intelligence. The device is equipped with day and night optocouplers. With a wingspan of 1250 mm and a fuselage length of 700 mm, Alpagu weighs 1.9 kg and can carry 500-600 grams of combat load in the form of a hand grenade manufactured by MKEK; in this case, it is possible to equip with warheads from other manufacturers. The total mass of the system, which can be ready to launch in less than 45 seconds, is 2.9 kg, the cruising speed reaches 50 knots and the maximum speed is 65 knots. The range of the device is 5 km, the flight duration is 10 minutes, the maximum flight altitude is 400 meters, and the optimal operating altitude is 150 meters. When attacking a target, the Alpagu ammunition dives down at maximum speed, thus adding kinetic energy to the explosive effect on the target. According to STM, the Alpagu ammunition, whose weight has been significantly reduced from the original prototype, is still undergoing testing and will be ready for deployment at the end of 2019. STM intends to develop a family of loitering ammunition based on Alpagu with increased take-off weight and payload, as well as a universal warhead that gives maximum operational flexibility.
The helicopter type Kargu ammunition is operated in the Turkish army and special police units. The quadcopter has a take-off weight of 7, 06 kg, its electric motors are powered by lithium-polymer batteries, providing 25 minutes in the air. The maximum ceiling is 2800 meters, and the working height is 500 meters above sea level, the range is 5 km, the maximum speed is 72 km / h, but when attacking, the dive speed reaches 120 km / h. A variant of the Kargu Block II was also developed, whose weight was reduced to 5 kg while maintaining the carrying capacity and flight duration. But its most distinctive feature is that it can work in a swarm, fly together with more than 20 aircraft, following the pre-loaded flight program and diving independently at the target. STM considers this to be the first step towards real swarm operations, the second will be the integration of artificial intelligence in order to reduce the load on the operator, the third final step is to achieve the operation of the device without a GPS signal and communication channel. STM has developed a new target load for Kargu, including an anti-personnel / fragmentation warhead weighing 1.3 kg, a thermobaric warhead of the same weight, while an armor-piercing warhead is in the final qualification stage.
Europe, in general, is not very active in the field of loitering ammunition. MBDA launched several programs, the most advanced of which was the Fire Shadow project. The development of the device began in 2007, and the first tests took place in 2010. The flight range is 100 km, the patrol time is 6 hours. The project was intended for the British army and was part of the Indirect Fire Precision Attack program, which was ultimately canceled in mid-2018.
Things are better in Central Europe. The Polish company WB Group has developed Warmate ammunition weighing 5.1 kg. A traditional glider with high wings and a V-tail is equipped with a pusher propeller driven by an electric motor; the on-board battery provides 50 minutes in the air. The wingspan of the device is 1590 mm and the length is 1170 mm, it is launched from a pneumatic catapult and flies at operating heights of 100-500 meters, the maximum flight altitude is 3000 meters, the speed varies from 50 to 150 km / h. The coverage area of the encrypted two-way communication channel is 12 km. The device can operate in several modes, for example, after identifying a target, Warmate switches to automatic attack mode, the ammunition is directed at it, carrying a combat load of 1.4 kg, and strikes the target with a circular probable deviation of 1.5 meters. Three warheads are available: the anti-tank GO-1-HEAT, capable of penetrating 120 mm of rolled armor, the thermobaric GO-1-FAE, and the high-explosive fragmentation GO-1-HE with a radius of 10 meters. The Warmate variant is designed for special forces and therefore can be carried by one person, while the much larger Warmate 2 system, with a maximum take-off weight of 30 kg, is launched from a catapult; the flight duration is 120 minutes and the range is 20 km. The device can be equipped with various warheads: thermobaric and high-explosive fragmentation warheads have a radius of damage of 40 meters, cumulative one is capable of penetrating 400 mm of rolled armor, the circular deviation for all is 2 meters. The Warmate 2 was developed jointly with the Emirati company Tawazun. This system is installed on the vehicle together with a ground control station. Poland ordered 1,000 Warmate ammunition, the first of which was delivered to the Special Forces in November 2017.
The WB Group has also developed the Swarm system, which integrates a hand-launched Flyeye mini-UAV used for surveillance and identification, and Warmate ammunition as an executive component. The first batch of Flyeye drones was delivered to the Polish police in December 2018.
