German defense contractor Rheinmetall is pitching a containerized launcher concept for Hero family loitering munitions, also known as other kamikaze drones, from Israeli firm UVision. The modified shipping container with 126 launch cells opens up a host of operational possibilities on land and at sea.
The War Zone has called attention to the value of notional capabilities exactly like this in the past, including in the maritime domain.
A rendering of the shipping container launch system is included in a Rheinmetall brochure. Rheinmetall and UVision signed a strategic partnership agreement regarding the Hero family in 2021, which includes the production of certain versions in Europe via Rheinmetall’s Italian subsidiary RWM Italia S.p.A. The Hero product line has been steadily growing in popularity internationally in recent years, including with the U.S. military.
Specific details about Rheinmetall’s containerized Hero loitering munition launcher are limited and The War Zone has reached out for more information.
The rendering looks to show an ISO-standard shipping container with a total of 126 launch cells in three distinct 42-cell arrays. This points to a modular scalable system that could be adapted to 10, 20, and 40-foot-long containers with differing numbers of total cells.
What specific types of Heros the containerized launch system might be to launch is unclear, but the rendering looks to show Hero-120s being fired. The Hero-120 is one of the most popular types within the larger Hero family.
Even if Rheinmetall’s containerized launcher can only be used to fire Hero-120s, this could still be a very potent combination. A single container with 126 launch cells, and potentially even more depending on the system’s scalability, would allow a relatively small force to flood a significantly sized area with loitering munitions. In the past, The War Zone has highlighted the immense potential battlefield impact of a capability like this, which other countries, especially China, are also actively pursuing.
Source: The War Zone