Israeli IAI has unveiled its small-sized Wind Demon cruise missile, primarily developed for helicopters. The company states that the missile is lower cost and can be operated in different cruise modes depending on operational needs (e.g., slow or fast approach). The 140 kg Wind Demon features a tri-mode seeker consisting of a TV+IIR seeker and a semi-active laser seeker on top.
Laser guidance is likely fitted to prioritise a target in the terminal phase if possible. The missile has a range of 200 km. In a way, Wind Demon could be considered the spiritual successor of Delilah's loitering cruise missile as a universal man-in-the-loop cruise missile for both fixed-wing and rotary-wing platforms.
The widespread use of cruise missiles, coupled with the success of improvised cruise missiles developed from UAVs in the Russo-Ukrainian War, has sparked a global interest in smaller and more affordable cruise missiles. This trend has led to the unveiling of the Wind Demon and similar projects from manufacturers worldwide. The United States is currently working on missiles with a similar concept and is even developing one specifically tailored for Ukraine's use. Turkiye is also a significant player in this field, with ROKETSAN's ÇAKIR cruise missile that can be launched from land, naval, and air platforms, and TÜBİTAK SAGE's smaller KUZGUN TJ, which weighs 85 kg and has a range of 250 km.
