Rheinmetall has secured a low three-digit-million euro contract from an unnamed NATO customer for several hundred Hero loitering munition (LM) systems.
Deliveries are set to commence in the first quarter of 2026 and are expected to conclude by the end of that year.
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The ordered HERO systems are fitted with Rheinmetall’s latest generation of high-performance anti-tank warheads.
Rheinmetall’s Italian subsidiary RWM Italia will manufacture the systems with support from UVision, the original developer of Hero loitering systems.
UVision and Rheinmetall entered into a partnership in October 2021 to deliver loitering munition solutions in Europe. Under the agreement, Rheinmetall leads the industrial, technological, and commercial aspects, while UVision supplies the munitions.
The current Hero loitering munition range comprises the Hero 30 for infantry operations, the Hero 120 for precision strikes on armoured targets and fixed installations, and the Hero 400 for medium- to long-range attacks against fortified positions.
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By GlobalDataThe Hero family of weapons combines intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and strike functions, allowing forces to detect and engage targets with low signatures or those needing immediate response.
The munitions can launch from land vehicles, ships, or aircraft, targeting infantry positions, vehicles including tanks, air defence systems, fortified structures, and other high-value objectives.
The operational range of the Hero series spans from 5 kilometres (km) for short-range tactical missions to 250km for long-range strategic operations.
In 2022, UVision and Rheinmetall secured an initial contract to provide Hero loitering munition systems to a NATO force in Europe.
In October 2025, UVision and Mistral jointly received a contract worth $982m from the US Army for delivery of the HERO 120 loitering munition system.
