Israel’s Rafael, SpearUAV to Develop Anti-FPV drone Interecptor, Iron Wasp

Israel's Rafael today announced a partnership with  compatriot, SpearUAV to develop a small-sized interceptor drone named Iron Wasp, designed for armored vehicles and ground forces to provide them with the capability to shoot down enemy unmanned aerial vehicles on the battlefield.

The partnership will develop and market the Iron Wasp: an advanced encapsulated UAS interceptor a derivative of SpearUAV Viper I (Interceptor) that brings an organic, on-the-move aerial interception capability directly to ground combat platforms.

The proliferation of unmanned aerial threats has fundamentally reshaped the risk environment for ground maneuvering forces. Commercially derived drones, purpose-built loitering munitions, and top-attack systems now pose persistent, low-cost challenges that no single technology can reliably address alone.

Rafael’s approach, validated through operational experience in some of the most demanding battlefield environments in the world, is to address this complexity through layered, interconnected capability.

Iron Wasp extends that approach to a new engagement envelope: organic, platform-resident aerial interception. Deployed from a compact Multi-Canister Launcher integrated directly onto a fighting vehicle, Iron Wasp provides an autonomous, ready-on-demand intercept option that complements the wider force protection suite without adding operational burden to the crew.

Built on the core technologies of SpearUAV’s proven Viper family of loitering weapon systems, Iron Wasp is designed for integration with Rafael’s sensor and lethality solutions, including the detection and tracking systems already deployed across Rafael’s force protection portfolio.

The collaboration joins SpearUAV’s expertise in autonomous encapsulated UAS technology with Rafael’s track record in system integration, combat-proven lethality, and the delivery of scalable, interoperable protection architectures to defense forces worldwide.