// UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND NEXT-GEN WARFARE TERM
One-Way Attack Drone
A one-way attack drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to fly to a target and detonate on impact, effectively functioning as a smart, guided missile. Unlike traditional drones, it is not intended to return from its mission.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A one-way attack drone, also known as a loitering munition or kamikaze drone, is an expendable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a high-explosive warhead for kinetic strikes. This autonomous or remotely piloted system is designed for a single-use terminal mission, where it acquires a target and then initiates a terminal guidance phase to destroy it upon impact.
SYNONYMS & ALIASES
- loitering munition
- kamikaze drone
- suicide drone
- expendable UAV
- lethal drone
- hunter-killer drone
USAGE NOTE
This term is frequently used to describe low-cost, attritable systems that can be deployed in large numbers to overwhelm enemy air defenses or strike precise targets.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to One-Way Attack Drone.
A U.S. defense contractor that develops the Switchblade series of loitering munitions. The Switchblade 300 and 600 are well-known, tube-launched, one-way attack drones used for precision strikes against personnel and light armored targets.
An Israeli company specializing in loitering munition systems. They produce the HERO series, a family of kamikaze drones of various sizes designed for tactical and strategic missions against a range of targets.
A major Israeli aerospace and defense company. IAI developed some of the earliest and most prominent loitering munitions, including the Harpy anti-radiation drone and the Harop, a larger system designed for suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD).
A U.S. defense technology company that develops the ALTIUS (Agile-Launched, Tactically-Integrated Unmanned System). The ALTIUS platform is modular and can be configured as a one-way attack drone with an explosive warhead.
A Russian company, part of the Kalashnikov Concern, that manufactures unmanned aerial systems. They are the developers of the Lancet and KUB-BLA loitering munitions, which have been widely used in recent military conflicts.
A Turkish state-owned defense company that develops a range of military technologies. They produce the Kargu, a rotary-wing loitering munition designed for anti-personnel and asymmetric warfare scenarios, which can operate in swarms.
A Polish technology company specializing in electronics and defense systems. They develop and manufacture the WARMATE loitering munition, a small, fixed-wing one-way attack drone used for surveillance and strike missions.
A UAE-based advanced technology group for defense. Its subsidiary, Halcon, develops and produces a family of loitering munitions, including the Hunter and Shadow series of drones for precision strike capabilities.
An Iranian aerospace company associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is known for developing the Shahed series of drones, including the Shahed-136, a long-range, delta-wing one-way attack UAV.