Tel Aviv: Israeli company Elbit Systems has unveiled the LANIUS, a highly manoeuvrable and versatile drone-based loitering munition designed for short-range operation in the urban environment. The system can autonomously scout and map buildings and points of interest for possible threats, detecting, and classifying.

LANIUS can carry lethal or non-lethal payloads, capable of performing a broad spectrum of mission profiles for Special Forces, military, law enforcement, and HLS. It is intended for combat in built-up terrain, when the fighting forces do not have a direct line of sight to the enemy. The fighters can carry it on their bodies and launch it through openings in the building, such as doors and windows, and fly it to the target and detonate it on it. The system is capable of identifying people autonomously, and distinguish between armed men who may pose a threat and unarmed civilians.

According to the specifications, the system’s maximum take-off weight is 1.25 kg, and it can carry a payload weighing up to 150 grams. In the promotional video released by Elbit, it shows what might be a solution for the limited range – a kind of “mother ship” in the form of a larger drone, capable of carrying several micro-UAVs and releasing them when necessary.