Aircraft
HAROP loiters with intent
One of the more unusual debutants at this year’s airshow is Israel Aerospace Industries’ HAROP loitering munition.

One of the more unusual debutants at this year’s airshow is Israel Aerospace Industries’ HAROP loitering munition. A cross between an unmanned aerial vehicle and a bomb, HAROP is an expendable air vehicle that is launched from the box in which it is transported. The weapon can loiter over the battlefield for up to six hours, using its nose-mounted EO/IR sensor turret to spot targets or relay video imagery back to the control station.

Once a target has been designated, the HAROP can attack it in several profiles. A near-vertical dive attack is an option, especially useful for pinpoint attacks in urban areas. The dive attack also makes it difficult to intercept in the terminal phase. The vehicle carries a small warhead, sufficient to knock out most targets but containing damage to a small area.

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