Group : Loitering Weapons
Status : Active
Also Known As : Maritime Harop
Origin : Israel
Contractors : Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI)*, Rheinmetall Defence
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 2009
Total Production : ?

The IAI Harop is a long-range, autonomous, loitering munition designed to carry out stand-off precision attacks at any angle from horizontal to vertical. This weapon system requires a man-in-the-loop to avoid collateral damage with the capability to abort attack. Basically, Harop is a small unmanned aerial vehicle fitted with FLIR and CCD-TV sensors acting as the Electro-Optical (EO) seeker with 360-degree hemispherical coverage for accurate detection of potential targets. The Harop weapon system is suitable for low and high intensity conflicts, urban warfare and counter terror operations. It has been ordered by the armed forces of Israel, India and Germany.

A single unit is comprised of launchers, Harop loitering munitions and a Mission Control Shelter (MCS) that enables missile control with a man-in-the-loop operation. The loitering munitions are launched from transportable launchers and navigate towards the target area, where they loiter and search for high value, time critical, land or sea-based, stationary or moving targets. Once a target is detected, it is attacked and destroyed by the Harop from any direction and at any attack angle, from flat to vertical which is highly essential in urban areas. The operator monitors the attack until the target is hit. Another Harop can observe and send real time video of Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) to the operator. The operator can command to abort the attack in order to avoid collateral damage, returning the Harop to loitering mode, and restart the attack later.