International relations are a complicated matter, especially when weapons are involved. Israel now finds itself in an embarrassing situation where Armenia has unveiled a version of a suicide drone (loitering munition) developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), angering its closest Muslim ally - Azerbaijan.
225 knots and surgical precision
The Harop is a suicide drone with impressive capabilities: a range of 200 kilometers, flight time of up to nine hours and a maximum speed of 225 knots at an altitude of 15,000 feet. The drone, which carries about 16 kilograms of explosives, has high accuracy and can attack from vertical and horizontal angles.
In the second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, the IAI manufactured Harop became the symbol of Azerbaijan's crushing victory over Armenia. Its power on the battlefield was so great that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev chose to demonstrate his attachment to Israeli weapons when he was pictured carrying it - an image that became an icon of the triumph.
Has Israeli know-how leaked out?
At the same time, India remains a major customer of Israeli defense industries, with procurements accounting for about 34% of all Israeli defense exports between 2020 and 2024. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), these deals were worth an estimated $20.5 billion.
The main challenge in working with India lies in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" policy, which requires foreign companies to transfer production lines and tech know-how to India. In this way, India is transitioning from an importer into an independent defense exporter, which in some cases competes with Israeli interests - as is currently happening in Armenia.
The Harop loitering munition is in operational service with the Indian army; Last May, during an operation against Pakistan, the Indians deployed the Israeli drone on a large scale. Then in October 2025, Armenian company Davaro unveiled the Dragonfly 3 suicide drone, which resembles an exact copy of the Harop.
The Indian connection became clear last week, when a delegation from New Delhi visited Armenia and took a closer look at the new drone. The Dragonfly 3 has a wingspan of 3,000 millimeters, a maximum take-off weight of 42 kilograms and a 5 kilogram payload. According to Davaro the drone can stay in the air for one hour, cruise at 126 kilometers per hour, and operate within a range of up to 120 kilometers.
A senior Israeli defense industry executive tells "Globes" that, he believes the technological know-how reached Armenia from India. At the same time, "Globes" has learned that Azerbaijan is deeply dissatisfied with the situation, as Armenia's possession of such a strategic means poses a direct threat to its security.
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IAI said, "Israel Aerospace Industries does not recognize the assessments mentioned in the article and is not a part of them. Israel Aerospace Industries operates in all of its international collaborations, including the one in India, solely in accordance with the law and the guidelines of the Ministry of Defense, Defense Exports Controls Agency (DECA).
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 12, 2026.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2026.
