Profile: Denel Dynamics Raptor stand-off weapon

The Raptor is a series of stand-off range air-to-ground weapons. Developed by the South African munitions maker Denel Dynamics, the Raptor is a glide-bomb with modular guidance options – including satellite-aided inertial navigation system (GNSS/INS), electro-optical/TV, and imaging infrared (IIR) seeker with automatic target recognition (ATR) – and a 600-kg warhead.

The first iteration of the Raptor, i.e. the Raptor I, has a range of 60 km. It is a glide-munition akin to recent gliding precision-guided bomb (PGB) kits, such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range.

The Raptor I was later complemented by the rocket-boosted Raptor II, which extended the range to 120 km and imbued the platform with optional guidance capability, enabling the end-user to pair the Raptor with fire-and-forget options such as GNSS/INS and IIR. An IIR seeker could enable the Raptor II to engage moving targets. The Raptor II can also be controlled from a secondary aircraft from up to 200 km away.

It is believed that the Raptor I and Raptor II are being manufactured under license in Pakistan by the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) as the H-2 and H-4, respectively. The H-2 and H-4 are generally described as stand-off range weapons with ranges of 60 km and 120 km, respectively, matching the Raptor I and Raptor II. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) began deploying the H-2 and H-4 from its Dassault Mirage III/5 in the mid-2000s.

In 2014, Denel Dynamics unveiled the Raptor III, a vastly upgraded form incorporating what appeared to be an airbreathing turbofan or turbojet engine, providing the munition with a range of up to 300 km if launched from 12,000 metres. If the Raptor III retains the heavy payload capacity of the Raptor-I/II – i.e. 600 kg – it could basically serve as a long-range land-attack cruise missile (LACM). Denel Dynamics claims that the Raptor-III has a circular error of probability (CEP) of less than 3 metres. Denel Dynamics is waiting for a launch customer to bring the Raptor III into full-scale production.