French firm linked to Rafale maker unveils IRIFI, a 2,000-km strike weapon combining the best of Tomahawk and Shahed

French defence technology company Harmattan AI, which works closely with Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the Rafale fighter aircraft, has unveiled IRIFI, a long-range loitering munition designed to bridge the gap between expensive, sophisticated cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk and Storm Shadow and cheaper, mass-produced attack drones such as Iran's Shahed.

The new weapon, which is capable of striking targets up to 2,000 kilometres away, seeks to combine the affordability and scalability of low-cost drones and the precision and survivability associated with advanced cruise missiles.

According to Harmattan AI, the key to achieving this combination is artificial intelligence-powered autonomy, which allows IRIFI to navigate and strike designated targets without continuous human control or reliance on satellite navigation.

Mouad M’Ghari, CEO and co-founder of Harmattan AI, said existing long-range strike systems generally present a trade-off between affordability and sophistication.

"The Shahed is cheap and easy to produce at scale, but it is imprecise and easy to shoot down. Tomahawks and Storm Shadows are exquisite pieces of technology with high survivability, but they are expensive and produced in very limited numbers," he said.

"AI-powered autonomy now makes it possible to combine the best of both worlds, and that is exactly what we did with IRIFI," M’Ghari added.

One of IRIFI's major capabilities is its ability to conduct deep-strike missions at ranges of up to 2,000 km while operating autonomously in environments where communications and satellite navigation are disrupted.

Unlike systems that depend on continuous external guidance, IRIFI uses an onboard navigation system that does not rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

It also employs visual terminal guidance during the final phase of flight to identify and reach its designated target.

According to the company, the combination allows IRIFI to navigate, process information, fly below radar detection, and achieve metre-level precision even in contested environments.

The capability is particularly relevant when communication links are jammed or spoofed, or when satellite navigation becomes unreliable or unavailable.

The system is designed to complete its mission autonomously once launched, operating according to parameters established by human commanders.

Another major feature of IRIFI is its emphasis on affordability and mass deployment. Harmattan AI is positioning the weapon as a relatively low-cost alternative to traditional long-range missile systems, allowing forces to launch coordinated saturation attacks on a scale that conventional missiles cannot easily match.

The company says this approach could enable armed forces to generate greater combat power over time while preserving expensive, high-value weapons for critical missions.

IRIFI is designed as a one-way attack system and can be launched from a mobile, canisterised launcher, allowing rapid and agile deployment.

IRIFI is also designed to reduce the number of personnel required to conduct multiple long-range strikes.

According to Harmattan AI, a single human commander, supported by an AI system capable of processing large volumes of satellite imagery, can direct dozens of autonomous strikes.

Before launch, human commanders identify and confirm authorised targets and establish mission parameters. Once the mission is approved and the weapon is launched, IRIFI executes the mission autonomously within the boundaries established by its commander.

The company describes this approach as autonomy in mission execution while retaining human authority over lethal action.

This arrangement is intended to allow military personnel to concentrate on higher-value activities such as operational planning and strategic decision-making, leaving the execution of authorised missions to autonomous systems.

Harmattan AI's central proposition is that IRIFI could offer the mass-deployment potential of inexpensive attack drones while incorporating the precision and survivability associated with advanced long-range weapons.

Its claimed combination of 2,000-km reach, GNSS-independent navigation, visual terminal guidance, metre-level precision and autonomous mission execution is intended to make it suitable for deep strikes in heavily contested environments.

Harmattan AI has not revealed IRIFI's payload, speed, actual cost, testing history or customers.