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 designated, 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-mission or aborted. Loitering munitions are typically aerial platforms, but include some autonomous undersea vehicles with similar characteristics.^[12]

Loitering weapons emerged in the 1980s for the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role, and were deployed for SEAD by some military forces in the 1990s. 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.