US Marines to Be Equipped with Advanced Israeli-made Loitering Munition

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The US Marine Corps will be equipped with new aerial loitering munition systems. The HERO-120 Organic Precision Fires-Mounted (OPF-M) systems will be integrated into the Marines’ armored vehicles, under a multi-year program.

Manufactured by the Israeli company UVision Air, the system has been selected after the completion of several successful demonstrations, tests, and evaluation processes. The system will provide the Marines Corps with ISR, highly accurate and precision indirect fire strike capabilities. 

The Hero-120 is a mid-range, anti-armor weapon system that meets the complex requirements of the modern battlefield. Hero-120 is a high precision smart loitering munition system with a unique aerodynamic structure that carries out pinpoint strikes against anti-armor, anti-material, and anti-personnel targets including tanks, vehicles, concrete fortifications, and other soft targets in populated urban areas. The Hero-120’s high precision capability ensures minimal collateral damage. Its wide range of multi-purpose warheads enables the operational user to effectively engage all targets.

The HERO series of smart loitering munitions consists of a family of eight systems, designed for different missions at various ranges using various types of payloads. According to the company’s statement, the HERO systems are the fastest sensor-to-shooter loitering munitions, allowing frontline forces to independently locate time-sensitive targets, track and attack with pinpoint precision. Each munition can handle different missions ranging from lightweight static or moving targets (such as light-duty vehicles) to larger fortified or heavily armored targets such as MBT (Main Battle Tank), enemy air defenses and other strategic objectives. 

The HERO series’ unique design enables the munitions to carry out pinpoint strikes in urban areas or remote locations, with minimal collateral damage. The Hero family is low noise and thermal signature, integrates highly advanced, stabilized electro-optic day/night cameras, and is ideal for deployment from air, land, and naval platforms.