Israeli company UVision Air, based in Tzur Yigal, and US company Mistral, have signed a $73.5 million contract for the supply of loitering munitions to the United States Special Operations Command (US SOCOM).
The contract, which will be spread up until 2029, covers the Hero-120SF loitering munition system, spare parts, engineering change proposals, and training. The choice of this loitering munition could be an indication of US military targets and the perception of threats in Washington, since it is designed to hit tanks and other armored vehicles at medium range.
Not a great deal of information is available about the 120SF, but is it based on UVision’s Hero 120, and carries a 4.5 kilogram warhead. It has a range of 60 kilometers, and can stay airborne for up to 60 minutes. According to the company, the Hero 120 can operate independently, that is, it can identify a target and attack it by itself.
UVision’s loitering munitions have acquired a reputation for accuracy and the ability to cause minimal collateral damage.
UVision will not manufacture the loitering munitions for US SOCOM in Israel, but at a factory that it opened in South Carolina in March in conjunction with US company SAIC. This makes the supply chain much easier, and enables deals to be recorded as US transactions under UVision USA.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 6, 2024.
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