Engineering:IAI Harop

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Short description: Israeli stealth loitering munition
Harop
IAI Harop at Paris Air Show 2013
Role Loitering munition
National origin Israel
Manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries
Developed from IAI Harpy

The IAI Harop is a loitering munition (LM) developed by the MBT Missiles Division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is designed to hover or loiter above the battlefield, waiting for targets to be exposed, and attack upon the operator's command.[1]

Overview

The Harop loitering munition combines the advantages of a missile and an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV). Harop is launched from a canister, reaches a "holding area" where it may loiter for hours conducting critical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) for the mission. Once it finds its target, the Harop proceeds to the attack phase, detonating itself on the target.

The Harop uses a man-in-the-loop control mode which is operated by a remote mission operator.[2] The Harop operator can select static or moving targets detected by the aircraft's electro-optical (EO) sensor.[1] The IAI Harop has an endurance of over 6 hours of flight and a range of 200 km.

IAI developed a smaller version of the Harop for more tactical missions and ranges, naming the product Mini Harop. The Mini Harop is designed to be launched out of canisters on tactical military vehicles like the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) and has a mission endurance of 1 hour. Mini Harop is typically used against time-critical targets or targets that hide and re-appear.

History

Harop is used widely across the globe and has garnered many operational successes. Allegedly Turkey may have been the launch customer for the Harop in 2005.[3] In October 2005, MBDA submitted the Harop (under the name "White Hawk") to the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence for consideration as the system for the Ministry's Loitering Munition Capability Demonstration (LMCD) program, otherwise known as "Fire Shadow".[4][5] The Harop was selected as one of the finalists, but the UK MoD ultimately chose a locally-manufactured solution.[4]

In August 2007, the government of India was negotiating to purchase eight to ten Harop systems.[2] In September 2009, the Indian Air Force announced that it will be inducting the Harop systems purchased for US$100 million "for up to 10 drones".[6] The Harop was publicly unveiled to the world for the first time in India, in the lead-up to the Aero India 2009 show.[4] In February 2019, the Indian Air Force decided to add another 54 Harop drones to its fleet of around 110 of these drones, which they had renamed P-4.[7] The Harop was also bought by several unnamed customers and remains a key asset for country defense strategies.

Combat history

Launch containers for nine Harops on MAZ-6317 truck in Azerbaijani service

Harop is most widely recognized for its combat effectiveness in Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in April 2016.[8][9] IAI Harop loitering munition was used with success to take out military threats in extremely difficult operating conditions, including freezing temperatures, shallow and steep dives, and GPS jammed zones. In 2020, Hikmet Hajiyev, an advisor to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, praised the effectiveness of the Harop in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.[10]

In addition to Nagorno-Karabakh, the Harop was also credited for destroying a Syrian Air Defence SA-22 Greyhound on 10 May 2018.[11]

On 9 December 2024, Harop was used in an attack on Syrian Armed Forces within Syria.[12]

2025 India-Pakistan conflict

During the May-Conflict between India and Pakistan, the former used multiple Israeli-origin drones, including Harop, to target military installations at Pakistani cities including Karachi, Lahore,and Rawalpindi. Pakistan claimed to have destroyed most of drones. Pakistan retaliated with launching a counter-drone strike on the Indian Military stations in 26 locations including the Capital Pathankot, Jammu, Amritsar, Avintipur, Srinagar, Bathinda and Udhampur. India claimed that most of Drones were intercepted by air defenses with minimal damage.[13][14][15][16]

Operators

  •  Azerbaijan[8][17]
  •  India[18]
  •  Israel[19]
  •  Netherlands: Acquisition announce use on Amphibious & Multi-Support Ships by the Koninklijke Marine
  •  Morocco

Specifications

Side view

Data from FlightGlobal,[1] IAI[20]

General characteristics

  • Crew: None
  • Length: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
  • Communication range: 200 km (120 mi)
  • RCS: < 0.5 m2

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 417 km/h (259 mph, 225 kn)
  • Range: 200 km (120 mi, 110 nmi)
  • Endurance: 6+ hours
  • Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,000 ft)

Armament

  • 16 kg (35 lb) warhead
  • CEP: < 1 m (3 ft 3 in) with 16 kg (35 lb) warhead

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Israel special - IAI's Harop ups the stakes on SEAD missions". https://www.flightglobal.com/israel-special-iais-harop-ups-the-stakes-on-sead-missions/78681.article. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "India eyes IAI's Harop attack UAV". Jane's Defence Weekly. 28 August 2007. 
  3. ↑ Sweetman, Bill (11 February 2009). "IAI Predicts Big UAV Market - And Unveils Loitering Missile". Ares: A Defense Technology Blog. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:e8a1e41e-6481-470d-92d7-ee1f9f573211&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Israel Unveils Loitering Anti-Missile Drone". Defense Update. http://defense-update.com/products/h/harop.html. Retrieved 2009-02-20. 
  5. ↑ "Rivals unveil concepts for loitering munition demo". Flight International. 20 September 2005. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2005/09/20/201621/rivals-unveil-concepts-for-loitering-munition-demo.html. 
  6. ↑ "IAF plans to induct Harop UCAV by 2011". The Times Of India. 2009-09-30. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/IAF-plans-to-induct-Harop-UCAV-by-2011/articleshow/5073678.cms. 
  7. ↑ Indian Air Force buys another 54 Israeli HAROP drones , DebkaFile, Feb 13, 2019.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Arminfo: Azerbaijan uses Israel-made Harop drone against NKR". arminfo.am. http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=029630F0-FAFF-11E5-967E0EB7C0D21663. 
  9. ↑ Sanchez, Raf (8 April 2016). "'Suicide drone' used for first time in fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia". The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/08/suicide-drone-used-for-first-time-in-fighting-between-azerbaijan/. 
  10. ↑ "Azerbaijan praises 'very effective' Israeli drones in fighting with Armenia". 2 October 2020. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/azerbaijan-praises-very-effective-israeli-drones-in-fighting-with-armenia/. 
  11. ↑ "Syrian air defense system destroyed by Israel was allegedly unarmed". https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-air-defense-system-destroyed-by-israel-was-allegedly-unarmed/. 
  12. ↑ Karremann, Jaime. "Israëlische marine gebruikte Harop bij aanval, Russen verlaten Tartus" (in nl). https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Israelische-marine-valt-Syrische-marinehavens-aan-111224.html. 
  13. ↑ Ahmed, Aftab; Abidi, Adnan; Shah, Saeed (2025-05-09). "India says military stations attacked by Pakistan drones and missiles" (in en). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/blast-heard-pakistans-lahore-amid-tensions-with-india-say-geo-news-reuters-2025-05-08/. 
  14. ↑ "India and Pakistan: The first drone war between nuclear-armed neighbours" (in en-GB). 2025-05-09. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy6w6507wqo. 
  15. ↑ Sharma, Shivani (2025-05-17). "Over 600 Pak drones downed by India's air defence during hostilities" (in en). https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-pakistan-drone-attack-operation-sindoor-air-defence-army-2726277-2025-05-17. 
  16. ↑ "Number of Indian drones downed by Pakistan reaches 77: security sources" (in en). 2025-05-09. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2544893/number-of-indian-drones-downed-by-pakistan-reaches-77-security-sources. 
  17. ↑ Անօդաչու սարքի անկումը Մարտակերտում. 4 April 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016 – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "Indian air force orders Harop loitering munitions". Flightglobal.com. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/indian-air-force-orders-harop-loitering-munitions-340351/. 
  19. ↑ Martin Streetly, ed (2014). Jane's All the World's Aircraft: Unmanned 2014-2015. London: IHS Jane's. p. 101. ISBN 978-0710630964. 
  20. ↑ "HAROP Loitering Munition System". https://www.iai.co.il/p/harop. 



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