UVision Secures Major NATO Deal Through Rheinmetall

Hundreds of Israeli-made HERO drones to be produced under license for an undisclosed NATO member as demand for precision strike systems surges

By Dan Arkin, Israeldefense.co.il, 01/12/2025

https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/67028

Hero 400 loitering munition (Photo: UVision)

German defense corporation Rheinmetall has announced the signing of a major contract to supply hundreds of HERO loitering munitions—Israeli-designed UAVs by UVision, produced under license by Rheinmetall.

The buyer is a NATO member state that has chosen to remain anonymous, marking another step in the alliance’s accelerated push for advanced, flexible strike capabilities. These precision “kamikaze” drones, able to locate and engage targets with high accuracy, have become essential in modern warfare. The new order reflects the broader NATO trend of rapidly expanding its arsenal of loitering munitions to enhance operational flexibility and precision-strike capacity.

Attendees examine a Uvision Hero-400 loitering munition at the Mistral Group, Inc. booth at Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week for defense companies, in Tampa, Florida, US, May 7, 2024. (photo credit: Reuters/Luke Sharrett)

According to The Defense Post, the value of the deal is estimated in the high hundreds of millions of euros. The order aligns with NATO’s wider plans to bolster its capabilities with state-of-the-art loitering munitions. The systems destined for the unnamed country will be equipped with next-generation anti-tank warheads, indicating their intended use against heavily armored vehicles.

Production for the secretive customer is scheduled to begin in early 2026. The large contract comes amid heavy demand at Rheinmetall’s Italian facility, which is currently operating at full capacity due to growing global interest in loitering munitions.

HERO 120 LMS autonomous multi-launch loitering munition system (credit: UVISION)

UVision’s HERO family includes several variants tailored to different missions. The HERO 30 is the smallest, designed for frontline infantry units, while the HERO 120 and HERO 400 provide medium- and long-range strike options for fortified targets, infrastructure, and heavy armored vehicles.

Hungary, also a NATO member, was an early adopter. It procured HERO 30 drones for its infantry units and integrated them operationally with its advanced LYNX combat vehicle—making it the first NATO country to formally arm an armored platform with loitering munitions. This year, Budapest declared its systems fully operational as part of a broad military modernization effort.