Mistral Inc. and UVision Inc. have announced that the HERO-90 loitering munition has been selected by the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Soldier to participate in the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program, an accelerated evaluation effort aimed at equipping dismounted forces with a man-portable, precision anti-armor capability.
The selection does not constitute a procurement contract, but it marks an important step by placing the HERO-90 within a competitive and time-sensitive Army assessment process. Systems accepted into LASSO are evaluated not only on tactical performance, but also on integration readiness, production scalability, and the ability to be delivered quickly if a future acquisition decision is made. The move reflects growing urgency within the U.S. Army to close capability gaps highlighted by recent high-intensity conflicts and the evolving demands of modern battlefields.
LASSO is designed to rapidly identify and mature a low-altitude loitering munition suitable for infantry and special operations units operating at the tactical edge. These units often lack immediate access to artillery, close air support, or higher-echelon fires, creating a need for organic, precision strike options that can be carried and employed by small teams. By accelerating testing and leveraging streamlined acquisition authorities, the Army aims to move from evaluation to potential fielding faster than traditional procurement pathways allow.
The HERO-90 is positioned as a mid-range loitering munition intended to give small units a standoff capability against armored vehicles and hardened targets. According to manufacturer descriptions, the system is backpack-portable and can be launched by a single operator in under two minutes. Once airborne, it is designed to loiter over the battlefield, allowing the operator to observe, identify, and select the optimal moment to engage a target.
Key features highlighted by Mistral and UVision include secure beyond-line-of-sight communications, electro-optical and infrared sensors for day-and-night operations, and a top-attack engagement profile optimized for armored threats. One of the most emphasized characteristics is the ability to abort an attack mid-flight and re-engage later, providing operators with flexibility if target identification changes or the tactical situation evolves. This capability aligns closely with Army requirements for positive target identification and controlled use of force, particularly in complex or cluttered environments.
HERO-90 is part of UVision’s broader HERO family of loitering munitions, which spans multiple weight classes and mission profiles. The HERO-90 variant is tailored for dismounted forces that need extended range and endurance without sacrificing portability. For the U.S. Army, Mistral’s role centers on system integration and alignment with soldier-borne command, control, and targeting architectures. The companies emphasize compatibility with a Modular Open Systems Approach and “Common Control” concepts, reflecting the Army’s longstanding effort to avoid a proliferation of proprietary controllers and stovepiped solutions.
The announcement specifically notes planned integration with the Army’s Soldier Precision Targeting Devices, a family of sensors and fire control tools used by infantry units to detect, identify, and designate targets. Ensuring interoperability with these systems is a critical factor in Army evaluations, as new capabilities are expected to plug into existing brigade- and battalion-level kill chains rather than operate as stand-alone assets.
From a technical standpoint, HERO-90 falls into the category of tube-launched, man-portable loitering munitions designed for infantry employment. UVision’s publicly released specifications describe a total system weight of approximately 18 kilograms, including a 3-kilogram warhead. The system is advertised as having a maximum range of up to 45 kilometers and an endurance of up to 40 minutes, allowing operators to observe a wide area and wait for fleeting targets or optimal engagement conditions.
The munition is described as man-in-the-loop, meaning a human operator retains full authority over the decision to strike. While onboard software assists with flight control, stabilization, and target tracking, it does not autonomously select or engage targets. This distinction is central to operational use, compliance with rules of engagement, and adherence to U.S. policy regarding the use of lethal force. In practical terms, it allows commanders to deploy the system in environments where civilian presence, complex terrain, or ambiguous target signatures demand human judgment at the point of engagement.
The broader LASSO effort provides essential context for understanding why the Army’s interest extends beyond any single platform. LASSO is part of a wider push under the Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team to modernize close-combat capabilities. Alongside programs focused on next-generation squad weapons, advanced optics, and networked sensors, loitering munitions are increasingly viewed as a core component of small-unit precision fires.
Army budget documents indicate that LASSO is being pursued through research, development, test, and evaluation funding rather than immediate procurement accounts. This approach underscores the exploratory and competitive nature of the program, allowing multiple candidates to be assessed before committing to large-scale purchases. It also reflects a desire to keep options open as technology evolves and as lessons from ongoing conflicts continue to shape requirements.
Within the broader U.S. defense budget, LASSO aligns with a shift toward relatively low-cost, high-impact munitions. Experiences from Ukraine and other recent conflicts have reinforced the effectiveness of loitering munitions in defeating armored vehicles, air defense systems, and fortified positions at a fraction of the cost of traditional air-delivered munitions. As a result, the Army has placed growing emphasis on affordability, producibility, and sustainment alongside raw performance.
Congressional budget justification materials increasingly stress the need for scalable inventories that can be produced rapidly and replenished in a protracted conflict. For systems competing under LASSO, this means that manufacturing capacity, supply-chain resilience, and the ability to surge production may weigh as heavily as range, endurance, or sensor quality. In an era of constrained budgets and heightened demand for munitions, these factors are likely to play a decisive role in eventual acquisition decisions.
The LASSO requirement itself sheds light on how the Army envisions employing such systems. Public descriptions emphasize day-and-night capability, a man-portable fire control system, secure communications, and the ability to abort an engagement after launch. Together, these elements point to a concept of operations centered on observation, confirmation, and deliberate commitment to fires, rather than immediate, one-way attacks.
This approach reflects the realities of contemporary battlefields, where adversaries employ camouflage, decoys, electronic warfare, and rapid maneuver to complicate targeting. A loitering munition that can remain airborne, adapt to changing conditions, and be recalled if necessary offers commanders greater flexibility and reduces the risk of unintended engagements.
Strategically, HERO-90’s inclusion in the LASSO evaluation lane could have implications beyond the system itself. At the tactical level, man-portable loitering munitions expand distributed lethality for infantry and reconnaissance units, allowing them to hold armored threats at risk without relying on heavier assets. In European or Indo-Pacific scenarios, such capabilities complicate adversary planning by reducing the protection offered by brief exposure, dead ground, or limited terrain masking.
At an institutional level, the Army’s willingness to evaluate multiple loitering munitions through an accelerated process signals an effort to normalize these systems as standard elements of small-unit arsenals. Rather than treating loitering munitions as niche or experimental tools, LASSO suggests a move toward integrating them alongside rockets, missiles, and mortars as routine precision effects available to dismounted forces.
The January 16 announcement, therefore, represents an entry point rather than an endpoint. HERO-90 has been admitted into a competitive Army evaluation shaped by operational urgency and fiscal discipline, with the explicit goal of moving quickly from testing to potential fielding if requirements are met. Whether the system ultimately transitions from participation to procurement will depend on its performance in realistic operational scenarios, its ability to integrate seamlessly with Army networks and soldier systems, and its alignment with budget priorities that increasingly favor affordable, scalable precision strike options.
As the LASSO program progresses, it will help determine not only the future of HERO-90 within the U.S. Army, but also the broader role of man-portable loitering munitions in the next generation of infantry combat capabilities.
