Israeli 'kamikaze' drones in high demand amidst Gaza war, as IAI nets $145 million in deals
Israel Aerospace Industries signed two separate agreements with two countries for long range loitering munitions, which are designed to loiter above the battlefield and attack targets by crashing into them and exploding
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) signed two separate agreements with two countries to deliver long range loitering munitions, also known as "kamikaze" drones. The contracts’ combined value is $145 million.
The IAI didn't detail which drones are being sold, but they are believed to be from the company's family of loitering munitions which includes Harpy, Harop and Mini-Harpy.
These two significant orders follow a previous contract signed earlier this year for long range loitering munitions, which are designed to loiter above the battlefield and attack targets by crashing into them and exploding.
"Loitering munitions have proven critical to achieving operational success on the battlefield worldwide," said IAI's President and CEO Boaz Levy. "The flexibility in strikes that can be achieved with a loitering munition is a major advantage in combat and the type of precision reached is of strategic and national importance. The latest orders emphasize the trust in IAI’s loitering munitions family in bringing the required advantages to each country respectively."
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Earlier this year, Estonia signed an agreement with the IAI to procure advanced long-range loitering munitions, making it the one of the most expensive defense deals Estonia has ever made. This was followed by separate contracts with three additional NATO countries worth several millions of dollars to supply Rotem loitering munitions. Rotem is a combat-proven Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) tactical loitering munition, intended for use by customers' special forces and can also serve for test and evaluation purposes. Rotem is part of IAI's family of loitering munitions which includes Harpy, Harop and Mini-Harpy, and has been proven in different combat situations since 2019.
