UAV · Anti-radiation loitering munition
Harpy
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) · Israel
The IAI Harpy is a fire-and-forget anti-radiation loitering munition designed to detect, attack and destroy enemy radar emitters by homing on their RF emissions and diving into the target with a high-explosive warhead. One of the earliest operational loitering munitions; led to the Harop.
| Country | Israel |
|---|---|
| Subcategory | Loitering munitions |
| Subtype | Anti-radiation loitering munition |
| Role | Suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) |
| Class | Loitering munition |
| Classification | Loitering munition (anti-radiation) |
| Mission | SEAD/DEAD, anti-radiation strike, loitering attack |
| Datalink | Autonomous (fire-and-forget) |
| Variants | Harpy; Harpy NG; Mini Harpy |
| MTOW (kg) | 135 |
| Operators | Israel; China; India; South Korea; Turkey; Azerbaijan; Chile |
| Frame type | Fixed-wing |
| Length (m) | 2.7 |
| Propulsion | UEL AR731 Wankel rotary engine (~28 kW) |
| Range (km) | 500 |
| Wingspan (m) | 2.1 |
| Combat-proven | Yes |
| Export status | Widely exported |
| Launch method | Canister/ground vehicle launch (rocket-assisted) |
| Autonomy level | Autonomous target homing |
| Endurance (min) | 540 |
| Recovery method | Expendable (one-way attack) |
| Year introduced | 1990 |
| Max payload (kg) | 32 |
| Max speed (km/h) | 185 |
| Standard sensors | Anti-radiation (passive RF) seeker |
| Production status | In service |
| Combat radius (km) | 500 |
| Notable engagements | Used against air-defense radars in regional conflicts |
| Conflicts deployed in | Nagorno-Karabakh |
| Airframe / lift type | Fixed-wing |
| Control / autonomy level | Fully autonomous (human-off-the-loop, AI-navigated) |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – military | EW / decoy, Loitering munition (one-way attack) |
| Origin / supply chain | Military-grade |
| Propulsion | ICE – petrol |
| Range / endurance | Medium range (150–650 km) |
| Signature / detectability | RCS – small, RF-silent – pre-programmed |
| Speed regime | High (150–400 km/h) |
| Strike depth / operational role | Middle strike (20–150 km, operational rear: logistics, artillery, EW, C2) |
| Threat vector | EW / cyber – jamming, Kinetic – loitering munition |
| Weight / class | Class I – Small (20–150 kg), FAA >25 kg (Part 137 / waiver) |
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Review-stage catalogue data — specs corroborated from manufacturer and secondary sources; not for procurement decisions. Source: www.iai.co.il/p/harpy