Argentina Signs Contract To Procure Israeli UVision HERO Loitering Munitions
On December 28, Argentina signed a contract to procure two types of loitering munitions from Israeli firm UVision Smart Loitering Systems. The contract was signed by Minister of Defense Jorge Taiana and Yair Kulas, the head of the Directorate of International Defense Cooperation of Israel.
The two electric loitering munitions chosen are the HERO-120 and HERO-30. The HERO-120 model is a large, short range loitering munition. It has an endurance of 60 minutes and carries a 4.5kg anti-armor warhead. The 18kg tube launched munition can achieve a range of over 60km.
The HERO-30 model is among the smallest of UVision’s loitering munitions. It is a man-portable tactical system suited for anti-personnel missions. The 7.8kg munition is armed with a 0.5 kg warhead. The munition has a range of 15 km with an endurance of about 30 minutes.
A series of tweets by the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Argentina detailed the need for loitering munitions:
“Recent conflicts have highlighted the need for munitions systems capable of detecting and destroying enemy air defenses, armor, and command and control systems. They function as an aerial weapon system that lurks around a target area for a set amount of time and attacks autonomously when it encounters a target, with the ability to easily abort the attack at any time. This makes it possible to reduce reaction times against hidden targets and select targets to attack more efficiently. On this occasion, it has been defined by choosing two models produced by the Israeli firm, whose characteristics allow us to take full advantage of the versatility of this new type of weapon.”
Besides the HERO-30 and HERO-120, UVision’s advertised lineup of loitering munitions include the HERO-90, HERO-400EC, HERO-900 and HERO-1250. Multiple other variants are also known to be developed. The munitions can be launched from a wide variety of platforms. UVision’s loitering munitions are being used by multiple nations across the world including the U.S.