The Pakistani military has released a statement, claiming to have shot down 25 drones from India. “Israeli-made Harop drones.” The Indian military hasn’t said what it used, but it confirmed the attack on Lahore, among other places. India says that it targeted Air Defence Radars and systems, across Pakistan. One of the Air Defence Systems in Lahore was said to have been neutralised. This means that India engaged in “Suppression of Enemy Air Defences” or SEAD missions. That reinforces the case for the use of Harop drones, because SEAD is where they excel.
Air defence systems utilise radars to track incoming projectiles. Radars emit a radiation signature when in use. And Harop drones are specialised in sniffing that radiation out. Harop drones are equipped with EO/IR seekers. EO/IR stands for Electro-Optical/Infrared. The Infrared part can detect radiation while an air defence radar is in use. Even if the radar is later switched off, the Electro-Optical sensor can be used to continue tracking it.
And the Harop can do all this without the need for human intervention. But the Harop isn’t some surveillance drone. It is a loitering munition. Part unmanned aerial vehicle, part bomb. Commonly known as a Kamikaze drone.
The Harop’s sensors identify the intended target, the drone locks on, and then it flies towards the bull’s eye, exploding on impact. What makes the Harop so effective is that it can fly in from odd angles. It can even make a vertical drop and land right on top of the target, which is difficult to defend against.
And while the drone can do all this autonomously, it also has a human-in-the-loop mode. Handlers can intervene and try and call off the drone, in case there are civilians near the target. Harop drones can be redirected and even recalled, in case their fuel gets depleted before they have a viable target. This means the drones can be used for surveillance alongside their usual Kamikaze missions.
Harop drones were first publicly unveiled to the world in 2009, at the Aero India air show. India had placed an order for 10 Harops that year itself, and the deal reportedly cost $100 million. Over the years, India has been building up its drone arsenal, and the Harop has been a key offensive component of that.
