IAI Harpy

Israel Aerospace Industries · Israel · first flew 1994 · reconnaissance aircraft

The IAI Harpy is an Israeli loitering munition (suicide drone) designed to autonomously seek and destroy enemy radar emitters. It combines a delta-wing airframe with a radar-homing warhead, circling a target area until it detects an emission.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, delta
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	2.5 m fuselage
T — Tail	No tailplane

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Tailless delta-wing loitering munition
Fixed undercarriage-free airframe — single pusher engine
Canard-delta layout with anti-radiation seeker nose

Tiny tailless delta-wing platform with a nose-mounted seeker, no cockpit, and a single rear-facing piston engine; often carried in box launchers on truck beds.

Specifications

The IAI Harpy has a length of 2.5 m (8 ft).
It has a wingspan of 2.9 m (10 ft).
Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and first flown in 1994, the Harpy was exported to several countries including India, China, South Korea, and Turkey. Its sale to China became controversial, prompting US pressure on Israel to recall and upgrade the systems. The Harpy established IAI's reputation in the loitering munition market.

Variants

The successor Harop (Harpy 2) is a larger derivative with a camera and man-in-the-loop capability, extending the concept to mobile targets.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the Israel Defense Forces and numerous export customers; not used by the UK.

Related aircraft

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