Rafael and SpearUAV announced a strategic partnership on Wednesday to develop Iron Wasp, a new interceptor designed to protect maneuvering forces from explosive drones, loitering munitions, and other aerial threats. The system is intended for installation on armored combat vehicles and is meant to intercept threats while the vehicle is moving.
The companies said Iron Wasp is based on SpearUAV’s Viper technology and combines autonomous capabilities with Rafael’s experience in layered air defense. It is designed to give forces in the field a response option without prior preparation or the need to operate complex systems. One of its main advantages is immediate launch, with no advance setup required.
According to the announcement, the interceptor is compact, uses relatively low resources, and adds no operational complexity for fighting forces. It combines detection, identification, and interception in one system, and is intended to handle fast targets with a low signature. The launch can come from a small multi-tube launcher mounted directly on the armored vehicle, and the system can be integrated with sensors and other assets according to operational needs.
Rafael said Iron Wasp adds another layer to its defense concept and can work alongside existing systems such as Trophy, Drone Dome, and laser-based defenses. Zvi Marmor, Rafael’s senior vice president and head of the Land and Naval Systems Division, said, "Iron Wasp reflects this innovation well and adds a much-needed organic air interception capability for our customers." He added, "Together we offer a more complete and advanced response to one of the main challenges currently facing ground forces." SpearUAV CEO Yiftach Kleinman said the choice of his company after a thorough evaluation showed significant trust in its technology and vision, and that the partnership supports the push toward an "Organic Air Force" for maneuvering forces.
