Page 23 - ADT MARCH / APRIL 2020 Digital Magazine | GBP

Poised for could not have been timelier; on March 6, the [ LOITERING MUNITIONS ]
Indian Ministry of Defence issued a request for
information (RFI) to procure 100 loitering muni-
tion systems for the Indian Army. Other nations
are also showing keen interest in the company’s
Growth systems. In February, UVision announced that
it had successfully demonstrated the Hero-120
loitering munition, which was publicly unveiled
for the European audience at the Paris Airshow
last year and to the U.S. audience at AUSA 2019,
to an unnamed NATO member state. Compared
to the previous version of the Hero-120, the new
WITH A JOINT VENTURE IN INDIA AND A one has a bigger front section, specifically to
incorporate different types of warheads.
SUBSIDIARY IN THE U.S., ISRAELI LOITERING
MUNITION MANUFACTURER UVISION IS POISED Different Systems, Different
TO EXPAND ITS FOOTPRINT IN KEY MARKETS Possibilities
Among the systems that the company has
been highlighting recently at defence shows
Arun Sivasankaran
are the Hero-30, Hero-120, and Hero-400, all of
which can be deployed from air, land and sea.
The company is less than ten years old, but Israeli loitering munition The Hero-30, which is ideal for anti-person-
manufacturer UVision has already made deep inroads into the niche nel missions, weighs 3 kilograms, is man-pack
market and looks set to further expand its global footprint even portable, has an endurance of thirty minutes,
as it introduces more capabilities to its Hero series munitions. The and is capable of speeds of up to 100 knots.
company’s lethal loitering munitions (LMs) are currently being used Hero-400, which is used for pinpoint strikes on
by Israel, the U.S, Army, as well as a few NATO countries. As part of operational targets in populated urban areas
its plan to capture a sizable chunk of the rapidly growing market, or remote locations, weighs 40 kilograms, has
the company has set up a US subsidiary and in 2018 signed an a 140 km range, and is capable of two hours
agreement with Firstec to supply the short-range Hero-30 systems of flight time.
to the South Korea market.
In January this year, UVision announced a joint venture – Avision The Hero-120, which can be fitted with a range
– with Indian company Aditya Precitech for the manufacture and of powerful multi-purpose warheads and vari-
marketing of Hero Systems to serve the needs of the Indian defense ety of payloads, is capable of pinpoint lethal
and paramilitary sectors. The setting up of the Indian joint venture strikes against mid-range hard targets such

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY March/April 2020 | 23