Farnborough. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a world-class aerospace and defence leader, unveiled the WIND DEMON, a new generation of air-to-surface cruise missile, combining new capabilities based on years of experience in missiles and loitering munition development. IAI’s newly developed WIND DEMON missile offers a pragmatic response to the changing nature of warfare where affordable mass can deliver lethality.
The WIND DEMON, unveiled at the Farnborough show in the United Kingdom today, offers a novel and compelling capability based on a unique, modularised approach characterised by affordability, adaptability, and advanced capabilities to operate across warfare domains. It was developed following an extensive review that highlighted the need for large quantities of effective ammunition and yet an affordable solution that can neutralise a wide range of targets using minimal resources at greater ranges.
Once fired from an airborne platform – such as a helicopter or patrol aircraft – the WIND DEMON follows a predetermined mission plan to meet a moving or stationary target at a range exceeding 200km. Platforms equipped with the WIND DEMON, wield advanced standoff advantage. The missile is a ‘self-guided missile’ that also offers ‘man in the loop’ capabilities. This combination of capabilities allows it to approach the enemy at low altitudes from a distance, launch the missile, and disengage.
Equipped with advanced day and night electro-optic and laser homing seekers, WIND DEMON delivers precise target detection, discrimination, and classification with pinpoint accuracy for day and night operations. Its warhead, which exceeds 20kg, is adaptable for blast, fragmentation, and penetration effects. Its low flight profile enhances its survivability by avoiding detection and disruption, in combination with its immune navigation suite.
Enhanced connectivity features enable real-time video transmission, person-in-the-loop control, and low altitude hold throughout the mission. Additionally, its selectable fast/slow/fast speed profile allows for high-speed reactions and selective slow velocity approaches at points of interest.
Guy Barlev, EVP and General Manager of the Systems Missiles & Space Group said, “We see a growing market demand for effective and affordable systems that will offer attacks in mass. We designed WIND DEMON to meet this market demand and it does so by offering significant capabilities at an affordable price point that allows customers to buy the systems in large quantities.”
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is a world-leading aerospace and defence company innovating and delivering state-of-the-art technologies in space, air, land, naval, cyber and homeland security for defence and commercial markets. Combining the “Start-up Nation” spirit of innovation with decades of combat-proven experience, IAI provides customers with tailor-made, cutting-edge solutions to the unique challenges they face, including satellites, UAVs, missiles, intelligence solutions, weapon systems, air defence systems, robotic systems, radars, business jets, aerostructures, and more.
