Israeli company to sell suicide drones to the USA
Israeli company Uvision has won another contract to supply drones to the US Army. The UAE is expanding its THAAD array against the Iranian threat. Also: Ukraine's unusual use of Chinese civilian aircraft frames. This week in the defense industries.
The success of Israeli weaponry is yielding additional deals in the field of suicide drones (loitering munitions). At the same time, regional concerns regarding Iran are leading to an increase in the volume of American sales in the Gulf. All this and more in our weekly defense industry column.
Israeli company to sell suicide drones to the USA for $50 million
Israeli company Uvision and the American firm Mistral have won another contract from the US Army to supply the Hero 120 suicide drone, worth over 50 million dollars. The model reaches a maximum range of 40 to 60 kilometers with an operational duration of about one hour. It can be fitted with various warheads designed to strike armored vehicles or personnel.
This is a follow-up to a major multi-year contract signed last October for the supply of suicide drones worth 982 million dollars. While Uvision has its own American subsidiary, Maryland-based Mistral specializes in the integration of defense technologies within the USA.
Uvision maintains diverse global collaborations. Notably, the company partnered with Germany’s Rheinmetall to develop a container-based launch system. This innovative platform allows for swarm attacks and offers the advantage of platform versatility and launch system camouflage.
UAE purchasing American air defense systems
The UAE has decided to increase the deployment of American-made THAAD air defense systems to strengthen its defense against the Iranian threat. The UAE currently operates two THAAD batteries, which integrate with the American AN/TPY-2 radar already in use in the country.
According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the cumulative value of the contract with the UAE through 2031 has been increased to 1.054 billion dollars. The US Missile Defense Agency is managing the project, which includes expanding the array to three batteries and performing software and hardware upgrades in the coming years.
Simultaneously, the US Army has allocated an air defense unit to begin preparations for the implementation of US President Donald Trump's flagship "Golden Dome" program. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost at approximately 831 billion dollars, while the president has claimed it would amount to "only" about 175 billion dollars.
Ukraine turns Chinese aircraft frames into loitering munitions
In its war against Russia, Ukraine is utilizing creative means to develop new weapons. Recently, Ukrainian forces attacked the cargo ship Nadezhda near Novorossiysk using the Mitch 2000 loitering munition. Capable of flying up to 2,000 kilometers with a 60-kilogram warhead, the munition is uniquely built upon a Chinese civilian aircraft frame.
Ukrainian use of Chinese-made aircraft has evolved throughout the war. Local engineers previously converted the civilian Mugin-5 Pro aircraft into a cost-effective loitering munition, costing approximately 15,000 dollars per unit and capable of carrying 25 kilograms of explosives over 500 kilometers. After China restricted direct UAV exports in the summer of 2023, Ukrainian developers began purchasing aircraft frames directly from manufacturers. Ironically, these frames are very similar to the Iranian Shahed series, from which Russia derived its Geran variant.
