- Griffon Aerospace is promoting a one-way attack variant of its MQM-172 Arrowhead drone for strike and attritable missions.
- The Arrowhead can carry payloads up to 100 pounds and supports modular integration with customer guidance systems.
Griffon Aerospace, a U.S. defense firm known for its aerial target systems, is promoting a new variant of its MQM-172 Arrowhead drone configured as a low-cost, one-way strike weapon.
While originally developed as a realistic target drone for military training, the company now markets the platform’s adaptability for loitering munition roles with configurable payloads and streamlined integration.
Daniel Beck, Airworthiness Manager and Program Manager at Griffon Aerospace, described the Arrowhead’s performance as reliable and adaptable.
“The Arrowhead MQM-172 continues to prove itself as a dependable training and target platform engineered for repeatable performance and easy integration into live-fire and test programs,” Beck said. “Griffon’s design and support make fielding simple and predictable.”
According to Beck, Griffon has developed a one-way strike version of the MQM-172 using the same airframe. “We also offer a one-way attack configuration built on the same proven Arrowhead airframe — a cost-effective, rapidly fieldable option for strike and attritable-effects missions,” he said. “It supports configurable mission payloads up to 100 lbs and modular integration with customer guidance and fuzing architectures.”
The company is positioning this version of the Arrowhead as a versatile solution for both training and operational scenarios.
“If you’re evaluating target drones or considering one-way attack solutions, I’d welcome a conversation about capabilities, timelines, and how Griffon can tailor a solution to your mission,” Beck added.
The Arrowhead, officially designated MQM-172, features a distinctive delta-wing design and is engineered for high-performance target simulation. The platform can be launched through multiple methods, including pneumatic launch, RATO (Rocket Assisted Take Off), or truck-mounted systems. A rugged belly-landing system allows for repeatable use during sustained training cycles.
Griffon says the Arrowhead is designed to emulate threat profiles encountered in modern aerial warfare. Its operational flexibility, the company claims, makes it well suited to simulate enemy drone threats or provide strike capabilities in denied environments.
While Griffon refers to the Arrowhead as a target system, analysts and open-source observers have drawn comparisons between its silhouette and the Iranian Shahed-136 loitering munition. The visual similarity, combined with its low cost and potential for mass production, has led some to describe it as an “American Shahed.”
The adaptation of training drones into combat-capable loitering munitions reflects a broader trend in U.S. defense innovation. Cost-effective, attritable systems capable of swarming or precision strike roles are being actively explored by military branches and industry partners alike.
Griffon Aerospace has not publicly confirmed whether any U.S. or allied military services have adopted the one-way Arrowhead for operational use, but the promotional shift suggests growing interest in dual-role unmanned systems that can serve both training and combat applications.