Israeli-Made Kamikaze Drone Spotted in Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Photo: youtube.com

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Video of what appears to be an Israeli-made suicide drone flying over the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh, where Azerbaijan and Armenia have clashed in recent days, surfaced Tuesday, in what could be one of the first instances of such a weapon being used in combat.

Video source: AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES Qarabag Youtube channel

The drone, based on its distinct wing shape and nose, looks like an Israeli Aerospace Industries Harop loitering munition. Unlike, for instance, a Predator drone armed with a Hellfire missile, the Harop itself is the munition and destroys a target by ramming into it.

[The crisis over Nagorno-Karabakh, explained]

According to the manufacturer’s website, the Harop can be remotely piloted or it can find targets autonomously based on radar or radio wave emissions. These two targeting methods are ideal for attacking enemy air defenses, as the smaller drone can evade weapons and detection systems designed to target much larger aircraft. The Harop is the second iteration of the Harpy drone. Unlike the Harop, the Harpy cannot be remotely piloted and it is autonomous after it is launched.

In this instance, the Harop apparently targeted a bus full of “Armenian volunteers,” killing seven, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, a spokesman for Armenia’s Defense Ministry, said in an interview with Ria Novosti, a Russian state-run media agency. Hovhannisyan also posted about the Harop on his Facebook page, according to local media reports, indicating that it was piloted by Azerbaijani forces.

Source: washingtonpost.com