HAROP Drones

HAROP Drones Latest News

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’.

About HAROP Drones

• The Harop drone, developed by the MBT Missiles Division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), belongs to a class of weapons known as loitering munitions.
  • 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.
• Other notable features include:
  • A wingspan of 3 meters and a length of 2.5 meters.
  • Maximum speed of 417 km/h.
  • Operational range of 200 km.
  • Flight endurance exceeding six hours.
  • Service ceiling of approximately 15,000 feet.
  • A 16 kg high-explosive warhead.
  • Circular Error Probable (CEP) of under one meter, making it highly accurate.
• This combination of attributes allows the Harop to loiter over hostile areas, strike from any angle—including shallow or steep dives — and perform in GPS-denied environments due to its resistance to satellite jamming (GNSS).
• India has been a known operator of the Harop drone for over a decade.

HAROP Drones FAQs

Q1. Who developed the HAROP drone?

Ans. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) 

Q2. What type of weapon is the HAROP drone classified as?

Ans. Loitering munition

Q3. What is the operational range of the HAROP drone?

Ans. 200 km

Source: TOI

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