This article is part of our weekly DefenseTech Brief.
Loitering munitions (LMs), which provide relatively low-cost precision strike capabilities with surveillance potential, continue to proliferate. Development efforts focus on increasing range, autonomy, and resilience.
AeroShul to Develop Multi-Barrel Loitering Munition
The Indian Army is leveraging domestic innovation, partnering with Gurugram-based startup AeroShul Technologies Pvt Ltd to develop a Multi-Barrel Loitering Munition (MBLM) system. This project, under the Defence Minister’s ADITI 2.0 initiative and the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme, aims to convert existing artillery rocket systems, including the Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), into long-range precision strike platforms. The requirement specifies extending the range up to 500 kilometers, utilizing satellite-based command, control, and communication. The MBLM system will feature UAVs capable of loitering, surveillance, combat strikes, and post-strike damage assessment. Key features include salvo-launching, swarming capabilities, and onboard Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. The inclusion of a minimum purchase quantity in the contract signals the Army’s firm intent to procure the system upon successful development, highlighting a strategy to enhance existing assets cost-effectively while integrating modern AI-driven capabilities.
STARK introduces the Virtus OWE-V
In Europe, German startup STARK announced that its “One Way Effector – Vertical” (OWE-V), also marketed as Virtus, has successfully demonstrated operational readiness during tests in Ukraine and is currently undergoing military qualification. This marks the company’s first public statement on the system’s capabilities demonstrated in a relevant operational environment. The OWE-V is a vertically launching and landing (VTOL) system weighing approximately 30 kg, designed to engage targets up to 100 km away. Its AI-supported control system enables real-time reaction to changing conditions and effectiveness in electronically contested environments, a critical factor given the prevalence of electronic warfare (EW) in conflicts like Ukraine.
The system boasts a 60-minute flight time, a 5 kg modular payload, cruise speed of 120 km/h (up to 250 km/h in terminal dive), and an operational altitude of 2 km. Key AI-supported functions include GNSS-free navigation (claiming 1m accuracy), object recognition, tracking, and automatic target approach, coupled with a hardened data link. The VTOL capability allows operation without launch infrastructure and enables the use of inert versions for cost-effective training. STARK has established a production facility in Bavaria and mentioned a broader portfolio including the “Minerva” mission system for controlling multiple unmanned systems.
US Army Explores One Way Attack UAS under Project Artemis
In the United States, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is advancing its Project Artemis, selecting four companies—Swan, Dragoon, Aerovironment, and Auterion—to prototype long-range, one-way unmanned platforms. Notably, Swan and Auterion are US software firms partnering with Ukrainian UAS companies. The project aims to evaluate these platforms, which use loitering munitions, in operationally relevant Electronic Warfare (EW) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)- denied environments. Key requirements include ground launch, affordability, a range of 50 to over 300 km, rapid deployment, low-altitude navigation, payload flexibility, rapid upgradability, and robust operation in contested electromagnetic environments. This initiative aims to deliver low-cost, adaptable LMs suitable for mass deployment, with a focus on speed to the warfighter.
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Originally published Loitering Munition Developments: Enhancing Precision Strike on by https://defense-update.com/20250418_loitering-munitions.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=loitering-munitions at Defense Update
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