India's lethal drone strike on Pakistan: Showcasing advanced warfare technology
The Indian Air Force's raid on targets in Pakistan during the night of May 6 to 7, 2025, was supported by "kamikaze" drone attacks. Here's a look at what the Indians used for the attack.
The Pakistanis claim to have shot down several "kamikaze" drones, including Polish Warmate drones and Israeli HAROP drones. These are drones with a very long range and a substantial payload, also used to track down air defense radars.
IAI HAROP drones — a flying bomb with a 620-mile range
The HAROP drone was first showcased at the Aero India exhibition in 2009. Developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), it is an advanced version of the smaller HARPY drone. It has the capability to loiter over a battlefield, waiting for a suitable target, which it destroys with its warhead.
The IAI HAROP is a large drone weighing about 300 pounds, capable of staying in the air for 9 hours at an altitude of up to 15,000 feet. Its range is approximately 620 miles, and communication is possible over a distance of up to 124 miles. Beyond this, the drone operates autonomously after pre-loading the coordinates, target appearance, and search area.
HAROP — can also hunt down air defense radars
Moreover, the IAI HAROP is equipped with a system for targeting radio emission sources, allowing it to attack, for example, anti-aircraft system radars or communication masts, similar to the AGM-88 HARM missiles. Additionally, it features an electro-optical head with a thermal camera, enabling precise targeting with an accuracy of less than 3 feet.
This precision, combined with a 35-pound fragmentation warhead, ensures high effectiveness against soft targets, light fortifications, and even floating objects.
Israelis emphasize that their drone has good stealth characteristics (RCS below 5.4 square feet), which is highly useful for attacks on targets within enemy territory. The HAROP can attack from any angle, even vertically. The drone also allows for the attack to be aborted if necessary, after which it returns to loitering over the area, waiting for another target.
HAROP drones have been purchased by India, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, who used them in recent conflicts with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, and now India has used some against Pakistan.
