AUSA 2026: Heaviside Industries debuts new loitering munition

Heaviside Industries is debuting their new loitering munition Tyr at the Association of the United States Army's annual conference. (Courtesy of Heaviside Industries)

The first of a new line of Heaviside Industries loitering munitions will be unveiled at the Association of the United States Army's annual conference on 12 October, an executive told Janes .

The “miniaturised” unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), called Tyr, can be customised with different Nammo warheads for anti-armour and anti-personnel operations, said Nils Haagenrud, president of Heaviside Industries, in an interview on 30 September. Haagenrud said the company is already on contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) but declined to say to which service or programme.

The fixed-wing UAV weighs less than 15 lbs (6.8 kg) and can fly up to 150 mph (241.4 km/h), according to a Heaviside Industries statement released on 12 October. It has a wingspan about 39.5 in (100.33 cm) and a total system length of about 31 in (78.74 cm), according to a company specification sheet.

Haagenrud said that through observing the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, the company learned that “something that is man packable, man portable, small enough that you can put it on every soldier, and also have the range and the penetration effect to take out a main battle tank was much needed”. In addition to the anti-armour and anti-personnel warheads, the munition is also designed to host anti-structural material and explosively formed penetrator Nammo warheads.

Heaviside is using its own dual-band radios, but Haagenrud declined to disclose frequency ranges. The air vehicle is designed to fly in denied communications environments. If communications are lost, operators can choose between waving off the strike, continuing the mission, landing it in a safe zone, or destroying it, Haagenrud explained.