Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is reportedly developing a killer drone, known as Harop, which can be used against "anti-aircraft systems and mobile or concealed ballistic missile launchers". 
The IAI Harop (or IAI Harpy 2) is an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) developed by the Malat (UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries. Rather than holding a separate high explosive warhead, the drone itself is also the main munition. This hunter-killer is designed to loiter the battlefield and attack targets by self-destructing onto them. IAI developed the Harop for suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) missions.
Harop, which is deployed as a "fire and forget" weapon, is designed to travel over 1,000 kilometers to patrol an assigned area and attack any hostile radar activated in its vicinity.
The development comes at a time when the Israeli military is making preliminary preparations for launching a war against Iran to take out the country's nuclear infrastructure -- according to its annual work plannu for 2009.
Despite Western doubts over the success of any military plan against Iran, Israel -- which terms the country as an "existential threat" -- has repeatedly threatened to take out Iranian nuclear infrastructure through aerial strikes.
Officials in Tehran contend that the country's nuclear program is directed at the civilian applications of the technology. Israel, however, accuses Iran, a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of developing nuclear weaponry.
While casting doubt over the possibility of an imminent Israeli attack, Iran has moved to enhance its defensive capabilities against aerial strikes through acquiring a sophisticated Russian-built anti-aircraft missile system, S-300.s
Iran is reportedly negotiating a deal with Russia to obtain the S-300 surface-to-air defense system capable of engaging up to 100 targets at once. The S-300 is a series of Russian long range surface-to-air missile systems produced by the Almaz Scientific Industrial Corporation all based on the initial S-300P version. The S-300 system was developed to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles for the Soviet Air Defence Forces. Subsequent variations were developed to intercept ballistic missiles.
The S-300, dubbed as the "game-changer", is feared by US and Israeli weapons experts as an element that can effectively rule out a successful attack against Iran.
"If Tehran obtained the S-300, it would be a game-changer in military thinking for tackling Iran," says long-time Pentagon advisor Dan Goure.
Iran is reportedly negotiating a deal with Russia to obtain the S-300 surface-to-air defense system capable of engaging up to 100 targets at once.The surface-to-air system tracks targets using a mobile radar station, immune to jamming.
The Harop drone, meanwhile, is designed to loiter over suspected locations to spot and attack targets as they are exposed right before activation. Due to its low speed and economical fuel consumption, the drone can sustain a mission of several hours over the targeted area. Harop, an advanced version of the Harpy killer drone, has been optimized to operate against enemy radars and surface-to-air missiles.
The radar killer drone is also capable of detecting suspected ballistic missile sites, where it would target missile silos and shelters as they are opened before firing. With Israeli war threats running hot and cold, Tehran has long been eying the S-300 defense system to ensure the safety of its nuclear infrastructure against a potential Israeli strike.
Tel Aviv, however, expects to surprise Iranian military officials with the loitering weapon as it can target the radar-equipped S-300 before it enters attack mode.
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