L3Harris Unveils 'Red Wolf' and 'Green Wolf' Precision Strike Drones for Air, Sea, and Land Launch

US defense company L3Harris has officially introduced its 'Wolf' family of launched effects vehicles, including the Red Wolf and Green Wolf. These small, stealth-inspired drones are designed for launch from aircraft, ground platforms, and naval vessels, significantly enhancing the U.S. military’s ability to strike deep into hostile territory or disable enemy defenses—all at a lower cost than traditional cruise missiles.

Meet the Wolves: Red for Strikes, Green for Electronic Warfare

The Red Wolf is engineered for long-range precision strikes against land and sea targets, while the Green Wolf is tailored for electronic warfare (EW)—disrupting enemy communications, radar, or missile systems. Both are part of a growing category of systems that blur the line between kamikaze drones, cruise missiles, and decoys, aiming to deliver versatility, survivability, and affordability.

Ed Zoiss, President of L3Harris’ Space and Airborne Systems, said the Wolf Pack gives military forces “a significant advantage in closing long-range kill chains, defeating adversarial threats in challenging environments and protecting assets.”

Design and Features

• The Red Wolf resembles a small cruise missile, featuring pop-out wings, horizontal stabilizers, and twin vertical fins.

• It’s powered by a small turbojet, with blended intakes located at the rear.

• The vehicle includes a shovel-shaped nose and chine lines—design elements that point to some level of stealth capability.

• While exact specs are classified, L3Harris confirmed multiple configurations have been tested with different ranges and payloads.

From Secret Project to Operational Reality

Development of the Wolf family began around 2020, and more than 40 test flights have been completed. The Red Wolf first appeared publicly at the U.S. Army’s EDGE 21 event in 2021 and reportedly originated from a classified Pentagon program under the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO).

A notable milestone in Red Wolf’s evolution has been its integration with the U.S. Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Viper helicopters, tested under the Long Range Attack Missile (LRAM) program. This aims to give Marine Corps helicopters a strike range of at least 150 nautical miles (≈278 km)—a massive upgrade from the current 10-mile range of their existing Hellfire and JAGM missiles.

Green Wolf’s Role in Future Warfare

While Red Wolf delivers the kinetic punch, Green Wolf is built for non-kinetic missions, such as jamming enemy radars or locating air defense systems by tracking their signal emissions. This ability will be crucial for clearing paths for follow-on strikes and confusing enemy sensors, especially in heavily defended zones like those expected in future Indo-Pacific conflicts.

The U.S. Army has already tested a Red Wolf variant for communications relay, and launches from MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones are being explored.

Affordable Firepower at Scale

L3Harris aims to price each Wolf system at around $300,000, comparable to current JAGM missiles but far cheaper than long-range alternatives like the $1.5 million AGM-158B JASSM-ER. With a target production rate of 1,000 units per year, the Wolf family is poised to become a scalable solution for future wars.

This affordability and modularity make it ideal for building up stockpiles for prolonged conflicts, a concern especially relevant in potential scenarios involving China or Russia, where high-volume, high-endurance combat would require large numbers of precision weapons.

Part of a Larger Trend: The New Arms Race

L3Harris is not alone in this space. Competitors like Anduril and Lockheed Martin are also unveiling their own offerings:

• Anduril’s Barracuda-100M is in testing for long-range strike and passive target acquisition using infrared imaging. It’s being launched from jets and soon from the ground.

• Lockheed’s CMMT (Common Multi-Mission Truck) family includes air-dropped and pylon-launched drones designed for stealthy, long-range missions, launched even from cargo planes via Rapid Dragon pallets.

These developments mark an industrial arms race in the U.S. defense sector, where companies are racing to create smart, survivable, and scalable munitions that can be produced quickly and used across multiple domains.

The unveiling of Red Wolf and Green Wolf is more than just a product launch—it signals the future of warfare. With multi-role drones that can jam defenses, relay communications, or strike from hundreds of kilometers away, the U.S. military is adapting fast to the needs of modern combat.

These Wolves are ready to hunt—and they’re coming in packs.