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A loitering munition (also known as a suicide drone, kamikaze drone, or exploding drone) is a type of airborne weapon with a built-in munition (warhead) that may linger (passively wait) around the target area until a target is discovered before crashing into it.
Loitering munitions provide for faster reaction times against concealed targets that surface for brief periods of time without requiring high-value platforms to be stationed in the target area, as well as more selective targeting because the attack may be adjusted mid-flight or aborted.
Loitering weapons share features with both cruise missiles and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs or combat drones). They vary from cruise missiles in that they are intended to hover for an extended period of time near the target.
A loitering munition differs from a UCAV in that it is designed to be used in an attack and includes a built-in warhead. As such, they can be classified as an unconventional ranged weapon.
Loitering weapons originally appeared in the for use in the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role against surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and were deployed in that role by several armed units.
Beginning, loitering weapons were developed for a variety of new purposes ranging from reasonably long-range attacks and fire support to tactical, extremely short range battlefield systems that might fit in a backpack.
Loitering munitions can be as basic as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with attached explosives deployed on a possible kamikaze mission, or as complex as commercial quadcopters with strapped-on explosives.
Purpose-built munitions include more sophisticated flight and control capabilities, larger and more complex warheads, and on-board sensors for finding targets.Some loitering bombs require a human operator to detect targets, whilst others, such as IAI Harop, can search for and fire assaults automatically.
Another example is UVision HERO solutions, which work remotely, are controlled in real time by a communications system, and are equipped with an electro-optical camera, the pictures of which are received by the command and control station.
Some hovering bombs may return and be collected by the operator if they were not used in an assault and have sufficient fuel; this is especially true for UAVs with secondary explosive capabilities.Other systems, like as the Delilah, lack a recovery option and self-destruct when a mission is aborted.
While certain cruise missiles, such as the Tomahawk Block IV, may loiter and have some sensory and remote control capabilities, their primary job is often attack rather than target acquisition.
As the name indicates, cruise missiles are designed for long-distance flight at constant speed, both in terms of engine systems and wing or lifting body design. They are frequently unable to linger at slow fuel-efficient speeds, reducing possible loiter duration even when.
In contrast, practically every UAV could be steered to crash into a target, and the majority of them could be outfitted with an improvised explosive payload. A UAV or UCAV’s primary usage would be for recoverable flying operations carrying reconnaissance equipment and/or armaments.
While many UAVs are deliberately built for loitering, they are not optimized for a diving assault, frequently lacking forward-facing cameras, control response-speed that is unnecessary in routine UAV flight, and being loud when diving, perhaps offering notice to the target.
Because UAVs are meant to be multi-purpose vehicles, their unit costs are sometimes too expensive for routine one-time throwaway mission use.
A loitering munition’s primary function is to reach the suspected target region and acquire targets during a mission.
The munition is optimized in this regard in terms of characteristics (e.g., very short engine life time, silence in strike phase, speed of strike dive, optimisation towards loitering time rather than range/speed) and unit cost (appropriate for a one-time strike mission).
In contrast, almost every UAV could be directed to collide with a target, and the vast majority of them could be supplied with an improvised explosive payload.
The primary use of a UAV or UCAV would be for recoverable flying missions carrying reconnaissance equipment and/or weaponry.
While many UAVs are purpose-built for loitering, they are not designed for diving attacks, typically lacking forward-facing cameras, control response-speed that is unneeded in ordinary UAV flying, and being noisy while diving.
The Global Loitering Munition System Market accounted for $XX Billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach $XX Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of XX% from 2023 to 2030.
The US company of Israel’s UVision Air, UVision USA, has reported the successful launch of its Hero 120 loitering munition from an airborne helicopter. The capability was shown at Yuma Proving Ground in May at the US Army’s EDGE 23 exercise.
By launching the Hero 120 from a Bell 412EP and striking a ground target, the testing demonstrated the system’s ability to complete a sensor-to-shooter cycle.
Launching from a safe altitude without endangering the helicopter, transferring tactical control between on-board and ground operators, pursuing the munition to a forward location, controlling the system within a km range of the helicopter, and striking a ground target over a km flight were all parameters tested.
On the demonstration, UVision USA collaborated with Axxeum, with the latter building a mechanical docking mechanism for the single-canister launcher, conducting structural and load analysis, establishing safe flying envelopes, and providing and operating the helicopter.
The Hero 120, which was shown at the Paris Air Show, is equipped with a kg payload and is meant to carry out precise attacks on mid-range targets such as vehicles, tanks, concrete defenses, and soldiers with little collateral damage.
Its mission abort feature allows it to automatically re-enter loitering mode, re-engage the target, or return to a recovery location while protecting the warhead.
The USMC intends to integrate the system with LAV-M (LAV-25 mortar variant), JLTV, and LSV vehicles. In addition to the Hero 120, UVision will provide
