Griffon Aerospace, a drone manufacturer headquartered in Alabama, USA, has launched the new MQM-172 “Arrowhead” Unmanned Aerial System, designed as a high-performance target drone and a configurable loitering munition platform. The system was unveiled last Sunday, with Project Manager Daniel Beck emphasizing its flexibility in both training and combat roles.
The MQM-172 Arrowhead closely resembles Iran’s Shahed series of loitering munitions, which are widely used in modern conflicts. While its primary role is as a reusable target system for pilot training, the Arrowhead can also be deployed in a one-way attack configuration, making it a dual-use asset. Griffon Aerospace confirmed that the platform includes a modular payload bay capable of supporting up to 45 kg of equipment or ordnance. This allows for the integration of sensors, training packages, or warheads based on mission requirements.
The “Arrowhead” is entirely designed, tested, and manufactured in the United States, leveraging Griffon’s record of producing more than 12,000 drone systems for U.S. and international markets. “Arrowhead” was specifically built to deliver unmatched flexibility across multiple mission sets for our customers. The drone’s launch “represents the culmination of extensive development and testing.” The airframe is described as agile and durable, reflecting Griffon’s focus on modular, reliable UAV systems that can adapt to rapidly changing mission profiles.
The expanding role of dual-use drones
This launch underscores a shift in defense market priorities: affordable, multi-role drones that can operate in both training environments and real combat scenarios. The “Arrowhead” can “make a decisive impact when it matters most,” highlighting its role as a tactical strike option. Globally, unmanned systems have moved to the forefront of modern warfare. From loitering munitions in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to Ukraine’s Bayraktar drones, dual-capability UAVs are reshaping airpower strategies. Meanwhile, the U.S. is advancing both high-end combat drones and cost-effective platforms like the Arrowhead for scalable deployment.
The MQM-172 strengthens Griffon Aerospace’s foothold in the competitive U.S. drone market. Its low-cost expendable potential, combined with reusability in training environments, may also appeal to allied forces seeking multi-role flexibility without major budget trade-offs. Industry observers view the “Arrowhead” as part of a broader defense procurement trend favoring modular, dual-use unmanned systems—reflecting lessons learned from battlefields in Ukraine and beyond.
