Palladyne AI and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have signed a strategic partnership to market the HARPY, HAROP, and Mini HARPY loitering munitions to the US Department of Defense.
The collaboration grants the Utah-based firm exclusive rights to assemble and sell the platforms, with each unmanned aerial system (UAS) configured to meet American military requirements.
Production will be supported by a US-based manufacturing setup overseen by Palladyne, while Tel Aviv’s state-owned enterprise will provide critical engineering services and subsystems.
According to Palladyne, the arrangement is intended to accelerate delivery timelines for proven systems to US warfighters.
“The US defense industrial base needs battle-proven loitering munitions capabilities it can field now,” Palladyne CEO Ben Wolff stated. “IAI’s systems have been validated in real-world combat environments for decades.”
“What differentiates this partnership is that by combining IAI’s systems with Palladyne AI’s US engineering and manufacturing capabilities, we can make those systems’ capabilities available to the [US Department of Defense] much faster than through a clean-sheet development program.”
Supporting ‘Strategic Market’
Pallaydyne emphasized that the cooperation aligns with Washington’s growing investment in loitering munitions as part of wider efforts to modernize battlefield strike capabilities.
It also marks a significant expansion of IAI’s footprint in a key defense market.
“The US is a strategic market for IAI,” said Boaz Levy, board chairman at IAI.
“By combining IAI’s decades of operational expertise and combat-proven loitering munition technologies with Palladyne AI’s US-based manufacturing capabilities, we are positioning these systems to meet evolving operational requirements and support the current and future needs of the US.”
IAI’s Offerings
According to Palladyne, the kamikaze drones are designed to suppress enemy air defenses and conduct long-range strike missions across operational environments.
The HARPY and HAROP systems are built to detect and strike radar-emitting targets using high-explosive warheads.
Both platforms measure around 3 meters (10 feet) long and have a wingspan of more than 2 meters (7 feet).
They are also powered by a 38-horsepower Wankel UEL AR731 rotary engine, enabling speeds of over 200 knots (370 kilometers/230 miles per hour), a range of 110 nautical miles (204 kilometers/127 miles), and an operating altitude of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters).
The Mini HARPY, a subvariant of the HARPY, integrates multiple sensors, including an anti-radiation seeker designed to locate enemy emitters.
It measures 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long, has a wingspan of 2.9 meters (9.5 feet), and carries a lighter explosive compared to the two flagship UAS platforms.
The Mini HARPY is fitted with a low-noise electric propulsion that supports speeds similar to HARPY and HAROP, coverage of up to 54 nautical miles (100 kilometers/62 miles), and a service ceiling of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters).
