Hero-120 loitering munitions to be made in US
The US Marine Corps has ordered Hero-120 loitering munitions. (Photo: UVision)
Hero-120, a loitering munition system fitted with a 4.5kg warhead, has been designed to carry out strikes against mid-range targets. In June 2021, the US Marine Corps announced the Hero-120 had been selected for its Organic Precision Fire Mounted (OPF-M) programme.
Israeli company UVision and SAIC (Science Applications International Corp) have signed an agreement to manufacture the Hero-120 loitering munition system at the latter’s facility in South Carolina, US.
The collaboration with SAIC will be aimed at establishing a fully independent domestic supply chain, ensuring that UVision’s US clients benefit from reduced dependency on international supply chains, faster delivery times, local training by expert teams and comprehensive post-sale support and maintenance.
The Hero-120 system is a mid-range, anti-tank system providing high-precision strikes against anti-armour, anti-material and anti-personnel targets including tanks, vehicles and soft targets in urban environments. It has been designed to cause minimal collateral damage and equipped with a range of multi-purpose warheads.
Major General (Ret) Avi Mizrachi, chairman of board of directors of Uvision USA, said: “Our collaboration with SAIC stems from the need to provide a complete solution to our US clients, independent of the international supply chain. The manufacturing facility itself will commence operations [this month].”
Neither the US Marine Corps nor UVision disclosed the quantity purchased or the contract value under OPF-M. Based on various data, Shephard Defence Insight has conservatively estimated that 800 units were acquired for US$162 million.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Organic Precision Fire - Mounted (OPF-M) [USMC]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
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