The U.S. Army has awarded a massive $1 billion Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for the procurement of HERO-120 loitering munitions. The deal was secured by UVision USA Corp. in partnership with Virginia-based defense integrator Mistral Inc., marking a significant milestone in the Army’s push to field scalable precision strike capabilities at the tactical level.
Contract Overview and Strategic Implications
The IDIQ contract allows the U.S. Army to procure HERO-120 systems over several years as operational needs evolve. While exact delivery schedules and quantities were not disclosed in the announcement dated October 7, 2025, this is by far the largest publicly known U.S. procurement of loitering munitions to date.
UVision’s HERO series has been steadily gaining traction among NATO militaries due to its modularity and battlefield-proven performance. The HERO-120 is designed for anti-armor missions and fills a critical capability gap between traditional tube-launched anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) like Javelin and larger UAV-delivered precision-guided munitions.
This acquisition aligns with the U.S. Department of Defense’s broader shift toward distributed lethality and manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), especially within Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). The HERO family offers organic ISR-strike integration at echelons below corps level—something increasingly vital in peer conflict scenarios where GPS denial, EW saturation, and dispersed formations are expected.
HERO-120 Capabilities and Design Features
The HERO-120 is a mid-range loitering munition optimized for anti-tank roles but adaptable for multi-mission use against soft targets or personnel concentrations. Key specifications include:
- Range: Up to 60 km
- Endurance: Approximately 60 minutes
- Warhead: Multi-purpose or anti-tank (HEAT) warhead options (~4.5 kg)
- Launch Mode: Man-portable canister or vehicle-mounted launcher
- Sensors: EO/IR gimbaled seeker with real-time video feed
- Control: Human-in-the-loop with abort/re-target capability
The system supports “lock-on after launch” targeting and features low acoustic and IR signatures during flight—making it difficult to detect or intercept using conventional SHORAD systems. Its modular payload bay allows future integration of alternative sensors or EW payloads.
A key advantage over legacy ATGMs is its ability to loiter over an area before committing to a strike—providing commanders with flexible engagement windows against time-sensitive targets such as mobile artillery or command vehicles.
Mistral’s Role as U.S.-Based Integrator
Mistral Inc., based in Bethesda, Maryland, serves as UVision’s strategic partner for U.S.-based production, integration, training support, and sustainment services under this contract. The company previously collaborated on integrating HERO systems into American ground platforms during earlier demonstration phases under the Army’s Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) program.
This partnership ensures compliance with Buy American Act requirements while enabling rapid scaling of production lines domestically—a key consideration given rising global demand for loitering munitions across multiple theaters including Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Tactical Use Cases Across Echelons
The HERO-120 is expected to be deployed across multiple force structures within the U.S. Army including Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs), Stryker BCTs, Armored BCTs as well as Special Operations Forces (SOF). Its relatively low cost compared to manned aircraft-delivered PGMs makes it suitable for mass employment in contested environments.
Tactical applications include:
- Bunker busting / fortified position neutralization
- Anti-tank ambushes from concealed positions
- C4ISR node disruption behind enemy lines
- Deny-and-delay operations during force withdrawal or shaping phases
The munition also complements other emerging systems like Switchblade 600 from AeroVironment but offers different trade-offs in range vs payload vs portability—enabling commanders to tailor kinetic effects based on mission profile.
Evolving Role of Loitering Munitions in Modern Warfare
The Ukraine conflict has significantly accelerated interest in loitering weapons globally due to their demonstrated effectiveness against armor columns, logistics convoys, radar arrays, and even naval assets. Systems like Russia’s Lancet series have shown how disposable drones can impose asymmetric costs on more expensive platforms.
The U.S., which initially lagged behind Israel and Russia in fielded loitering munition inventory outside SOF units, now appears committed to closing that gap through scalable programs like this one involving the HERO family. This also reflects lessons learned from recent exercises such as Project Convergence where layered unmanned effects were tested extensively alongside AI-enabled targeting tools.
Future Variants and Integration Pathways
The current contract focuses on the baseline HERO-120 variant but leaves room for spiral upgrades via software-defined architecture. Potential enhancements under consideration include:
- AUTONOMY: AI-assisted target recognition using onboard processing units
- MESH NETWORKING: Swarm coordination between multiple munitions launched simultaneously
- SPECTRUM HARDENING: Improved EW resistance via frequency hopping & GNSS spoof-resilience modes
- CUEING INTEGRATION: Direct tasking via battlefield sensors or JTAC laser designators / ATAK apps
If successful at scale within U.S. formations, it may also influence allied procurement decisions under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channels—particularly among Eastern European NATO members seeking cost-effective countermeasures against Russian armor tactics observed since February 2022.
A Competitive Landscape Emerges in Tactical Loiterers Market
This award places UVision-Mistral ahead of competitors like AeroVironment (Switchblade series), Elbit Systems (SkyStriker), STM (Kargu), Rheinmetall/UVision Germany JV offerings—or even domestic initiatives by Anduril or Shield AI exploring attritable drone swarms with kinetic payloads.
The decisive factor appears not just platform performance but industrial readiness: ability to deliver thousands of units per year while maintaining training pipelines and digital twin support environments for sustainment planning—all areas where UVision-Mistral have invested heavily since early pilot programs began circa FY2020–2021.
