HAROP Drones:
Indian armed forces recently deployed Israeli-origin Harop drones to carry out precision strikes on air defence systems in Pakistan as part of their ongoing ‘Operation Sindoor’.
- The Harop drone, developed by the MBT Missiles Division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), belongs to a class of weapons known as loitering munition
- These drones are designed to hover in a designated area for up to nine hours, identify hostile targets, and destroy them by crashing into them with a built-in explosive payload.
- Unlike conventional UAVs, which return after surveillance missions, loitering munitions serve a dual purpose: reconnaissance and attack.
- The Harop is equipped with an electro-optical (EO) or infrared (IR) seeker to detect, track, and engage static or mobile threats, including radar systems, missile launchers, and command posts.
- Capable of autonomous operation with human oversight, the Harop offers a man-in-the-loop control mode, allowing the operator to make final decisions before impact.
- It is also equipped with abort capability, allowing for mission cancellation mid-flight to avoid collateral damage.
