MBDA Italy unveiled a new family of loitering munitions, Harpax, at the Seafuture 2025 exhibition, held from September 29 to October 2. Two variants from this family were showcased at the exhibition: a 1:2-scale Mini and a 1:5-scale Small. In addition, a third, larger variant is planned aswell.
MBDA Italy sales manager Cristiano Proietti emphasized that their new Harpax loitering munitions family addresses "the specific needs of the Italian army, which are not yet mandatory." Special forces are the first to test such weapons, according to the European Defense Review.
Read more: Ukraine's Neptune (RK360L) Outperforms Europe's Sole Long-Range MdCN Cruise Missile
The Harpax Small can be considered an analogue of the American Switchblade loitering munition. It is noted that Harpax is a modular platform that can serve either as a kamikaze loitering munition armed with a fragmentation warhead or be fitted with other modules — ISTAR sensors, electronic-warfare systems, and, in future, a module for transporting high-priority cargo.
In terms of tactical and technical characteristics, the Harpax Small represents an intermediate design between the American Switchblade 300 and 600 variants.
The Harpax Small weighs under eight kg, including a 1.5-kg warhead. For comparison, the Switchblade 300 loitering munition weighs 2.5 kg, and the Switchblade 600 weighs 15 kg.
The Harpax Small has a range of 15-20 km (compared to 10 km for the Switchblade 300 and 40 km for the Switchblade 600). Its flight time is 25-40 minutes (compared to 15 minutes for the Switchblade 300 and 40 minutes for the Switchblade 600), and its cruising speed is less than 200 km/h.
The Harpax Mini variant is a quadcopter with a maximum take-off weight of less than 2.5 kg, equipped with a 500-gram fragmentation warhead from KNDS Ammo Italy.
The drone has a range of 5 km, an endurance of 20 minutes and a maximum cruising speed of under 50 km/h. It is described as a drone for urban combat.
Read more: Puma LE Reconnaissance UAVs Get Integrated Laser Target Designator, Universal Gimbal
