MBDA showed the OWL (H) Crossbow, a cheap kamikaze drone with a range of 800 km

Not a rocket or an airplane, but a one—time attack drone

At the DSEI 2025 exhibition in London, the European MBDA concern presented a new system called OWL (H) — One Way Effector (Heavy), which can be translated as a "one-time remedy". This is not just a drone, but a kamikaze drone: it flies to the target and destroys it with an explosion of its warhead. The ground version weighs 750 kg, of which up to 300 kg is the payload.

Such drones are an ideal compromise between expensive rockets and massive quadrocopters.

300 kg payload and wings like a glider

The OWL(H) is not a small drone with a propeller. It has a wingspan of 3 meters and a length of 5.3 meters. It moves at subsonic speed using aerodynamics, like a light aircraft or a glider. Thanks to this, a range of more than 800 km is achieved — many times more than that of most tactical drones.

The payload is modular. It can be either cumulative for armored targets or high-explosive for buildings. There are also options with non—kinetic effects, such as electromagnetic pulses.

Long-range combat without overpayment

The main advantage of OWL(H) is the price. According to MBDA, it is designed to strike particularly important static targets (for example, command posts, warehouses, radars) in a complex electronic environment, but it is significantly cheaper than a cruise missile.

This allows you to use it massively, without sparing technique. The army gets the opportunity to "shoot" drones where it would not have used a rocket before.

Why do armies need such drones?

In modern conflicts, targeted but inexpensive strikes are increasingly needed. OWL(H) is just such a tool. It can be launched from mobile installations, it is elusive for air defense, and its range allows you to work from a safe distance.

This is not a replacement for missiles, but an addition — a weapon for those cases when you need power, but you don't want to pay the price of a Tomahawk.

Sources

1. MBDA — Official launch of Crossbow™ One Way Effector Heavy at DSEI 2025
2. EDR Magazine — OWE profile: 500 km+ range, multi-role payload, mass-strike role
3. Hi-Tech Mail.ru — 500 km kamikaze drone unveiled at Paris Air Show 2025
4. Amalantra.ru — European “jet Shahed”: MBDA’s long-range strike UAV
5. KP.ru — MBDA plans for extended-range, heavy-payload loitering munition
6. Overclockers.ru — MBDA One Way Effector drones designed to suppress air-defence