Kamikaze drones purchased by Israeli Ministry of Defense
NewsMay 05, 2020
ISRAEL. Israel's Ministry of Defense ordered 6.6-pound drones for its ground forces working in urban areas, maker Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. announced. The Spike Firefly is a loitering munition, also known as a kamikaze drone or suicide drone, a category in which the single-use munition loiters airborne in a target area, searches for targets, and attacks once one is located, exploding on contact.
It is designed to fill a niche between cruise missiles and unmanned combat aerial vehicles, although the system chosen by the IDF is small and intended to be transportable by a single soldier.
Controlled by a tablet computer, it requires no special training to use and can function in or out of an operator's line of sight, the manufacturer said. Its munitions are powered by twin electric motors which can loiter for a maximum of 15 minutes at a maximum altitude of 1,640 feet in urban terrain and nearly 5,000 feet in open areas.
No details regarding the cost or number to be produced were announced. Rafael, headquartered in Tel Aviv, is a major defense contractor for the IDF.
