An image released on 16 December 2024 shows a SpearUAV Viper 300 loitering munition in flight. (SpearUAV)
Israeli company SpearUAV announced its first major contract on 16 December, saying it is for its Viper 300 loitering munition, worth USD30 million, and includes options that would take it to USD60 million. The company did not identify the customer but said it expects to deliver the munitions in 2025.
“This contract not only represents a substantial opportunity but also includes expansion options that we anticipate will substantially grow our market presence in the near future,” said Yiftach Kleinman, SpearUAV's deputy CEO. “This is a record year for new contracts for SpearUAV, [and] we anticipate further significant contracts before the year ends.”
The Viper 300 is a quadcopter with a 300 g directional warhead that unfolds its rotors after it is expelled from a reusable launch tube that can be carried by a soldier or attached to a vehicle using a rack. The system is designed to be simple to operate after a few days of training, with the company saying it uses artificial intelligence to identify possible targets that the operator can select to attack.
SpearUAV also announced that it had secured further contracts, including for the Viper 300, the Viper 750 surveillance version, and the Viper I aerial interceptor.
The company said the Viper 750 contract was primarily for naval use. Kleinman told Janes in September that the submarine-launched version was already in service with a navy he was not permitted to identify.
The Viper I is a completely different model but uses the same launcher as the Viper 300 and 750, giving front-line units a weapon they can use to intercept hostile quadcopters and other types of loitering munitions.
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