As the tension between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam incident, both nuclear powers are confronting each other through air strikes and drone attacks. According to the latest update on this high-tech confrontation, Pakistan’s military claims to have shot down 25 Indian drones, utilizing a combination of ‘soft-skill (technical)’ counter-drone technology and ‘hard-kill (weaponized)’ measures. The authorities also apprised that most of the drones shot down were Israeli-made Harop drones. 

Harop Drone Performance Questioned  

According to TWZ, an Israeli defence news agency, Harop is like a Klingon Bird of Prey. It describes the drone as 

“small, maneuverable, nearly impossible to detect, relatively inexpensive, and downright deadly. When it comes to accomplishing its mission, it even operates on the belief that ‘today is a great day to die.’”

However, the recent interception and destruction of Harop drone has brought the credibility of Israeli drone technology into the limelight, meanwhile, requiring India to re-evaluate its  2.9 billion investment over the past decade in Israeli surveillance and combat drones. 

Features of Harop Drones 

Harop drone is a loitering munition system, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with attached explosives. It is developed by the MBT Missiles Division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It can be used for surveillance and payload-installed attacks. 

Combat Drone 

The most significant feature of the Harop drone is its capability to hunt down enemy air defence and other important targets by the operator’s command. It is a combination of missile and UAV technology, making it an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight. 

Dual Operational Capability 

Harop drone can operate both manually and autonomously. For manual operations, its human-in-the-loop mode is activated. In a scenario where the target is not engaged, the drone returns and lands at its base. 

Launch 

Harop has folding wings, and it can be launched from a truck or a ship-mounted canister. It is also viable for air launch.

Military Grade 

Harop is a military grade drone, which means it is operated through satellites. This feature makes it difficult to block its radio frequency. Previously, Harop drones have been reported to be used in Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict against Armenia. In 2018, Harop was also used in the Syrian conflict, and credited with the destruction of a Syrian Air Defence SA-22 Greyhound.