Loitering munition

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A loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone,^[1][2][3][4] kamikaze drone,^[5][6][7] or exploding drone,^[8] is a weapon with a warhead that is typically designed to loiter until a target is located, then crash into it.^[9][10][11] They enable attacks against hidden targets that emerge for short periods without placing high-value platforms near the target area; unlike many other types of munitions, their attacks can be changed mid-flight or aborted. Loitering munitions are typically aerial platforms; however some autonomous unmanned undersea vehicles are classified as loitering munitions, with similar capabilities but in the subsea domain.^[12]

Loitering munitions are designed to loiter for a relatively long time around the target area.

Loitering weapons emerged in the 1980s for the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role, and were deployed in that role with a number of military forces in the 1990s. Starting in the 2000s, they were developed for additional roles, from long-range strikes and fire support to short-range tactical systems that fit in a backpack.