In News:

On May 8, 2025, as part of Operation Sindoor, India reportedly used Israeli-made HAROP loitering munitions to destroy a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore, in response to Pakistan’s attempted attacks on Indian military installations.

What is HAROP?

• HAROP is an advanced loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone or kamikaze drone.
• Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), it combines features of a UAV and a missile.
• It is designed to loiter over an area, search for high-value targets, and crash into the target with an explosive payload.

Key Characteristics and Capabilities

Feature                                           Description

Function                                       Combines surveillance and attack roles; can loiter, identify, and

                                                strike autonomously or manually

Targets                                          Designed to hit air defence systems, radars, command posts,

                                                             tanks, and moving military assets

Sensor                                            Equipped with an Electro-Optical (EO) sensor for real-time

                                                 target tracking and acquisition

Endurance                                  Up to 9 hours of loitering capability for deep-target missions

Launch Platforms                  Can be launched from truck-mounted canisters,

                                                             naval vessels, or ground stations

Navigation Resistance       GNSS (GPS)-jam resistant, effective in communication-

                                                 denied environments

Strike Profile                                Executes attacks from various angles using

                                                              steep or shallow dive maneuvers

Evolution and Operational Use

• HAROP is an evolution of the earlier HARPY system, which was radio-frequency (RF) guided.
• Unlike the HARPY, HAROP uses EO sensors for improved visual target identification.
• HAROPs are "fire-and-forget" weapons, meaning they do not require active control after launch.
• The system has been described by IAI as the “King of the Battlefield”, with a claimed mission success rate of 98%.
• Proven effective in multiple combat scenarios, including suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD).