Israel-Based IAI To Supply 3 NATO Countries With Rotem Loitering Munitions
Israel Aerospace Industries announced that it has won several million-dollar contracts to supply Rotem loitering munitions to three unnamed NATO countries. These agreements come on the heels of the recent announcement by NATO member Estonia that it has purchased long-range loitering munitions from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
MBT Missile Division Vice President and General Manager Avi Elisha stated, “This announcement follows the decision of another NATO member, Estonia, to purchase IAI’s long-range loitering munitions. Acquisition of Rotem by three different NATO members reflects the high and growing global demand for tactical loitering munitions. IAI has extensive experience in loitering munitions, having invented this type of munition almost 40 years ago. Rotem’s unique capabilities include Vertical Takeoff and Landing making it a perfect choice for close combat scenarios, including urban combat.”
Part of IAI’s family of loitering munitions that includes the Harpy, Harop and Mini-Harpy systems, Rotem is a tactical loitering munition based on a light multi-rotor platform that has proven itself in different combat situations since 2019. The lightweight, compact, and affordable Rotem has been specifically designed and proven to perform in urban combat environments, according to the manufacturer.
Available for both reconnaissance and offensive operations, the system can clearly identify, track, and respond to a potential threat with 13x continuous optical/digital zoom (EO @ 720p) and 2x 640×480 IR. In the case of reconnaissance flights using the system, the warhead can be dismantled to simplify the design and thus extend the flight time. The drone has an operational range of 10 kilometers and a flight time of 30 minutes with a 1.2 kg warhead, 45 minutes with an ISR capsule, or can hover for up to nine hours. Deployable in seconds by a single soldier at an infantry or small troop/special forces level, the simple-to-use Rotem loitering munition system includes 2 AVs, 1 GCS, data link, spare batteries, and charger.