Dassault-backed startup unveils strike weapon designed to hit targets up to 1,240 miles away

French defense startup Harmattan AI has unveiled IRIFI, an autonomous long-range strike system designed to conduct missions up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) away. The system marks the company’s entry into the deep-strike market and is being positioned as a lower-cost alternative to more traditional long-range missile systems.

IRIFI is designed to operate without relying on satellite navigation and can be deployed from a mobile, canisterized launcher. Harmattan AI says the system is intended for rapid, large-scale deployment, potentially allowing multiple systems to be launched for coordinated strike missions.

Designed to operate without GNSS

According to the company, IRIFI uses onboard navigation that does not depend on GNSS. It is also designed to use visual guidance during the terminal phase of a mission. Harmattan AI says the system can process information onboard, fly at low altitude to reduce exposure to radar detection, and achieve meter-level precision.

However, the company has not publicly disclosed IRIFI’s payload, speed, cost, test history, or customers, making it difficult to independently assess those performance claims. The system is intended for missions against targets such as logistics hubs, airfields, command posts, and other infrastructure.

Human authorization, autonomous execution

Harmattan AI describes IRIFI as autonomous rather than fully independent. Human commanders are expected to designate authorized targets and establish mission parameters before launch.

Once launched, the system is designed to execute the mission autonomously, with its navigation and terminal guidance operating within those predefined parameters. The company summarizes the approach as “autonomy in mission execution, human authority over lethal action.”

The startup also says artificial intelligence can process large quantities of satellite imagery to support mission planning, allowing a single commander to launch dozens of systems.

Harmattan AI CEO and co-founder Mouad M’Ghari contrasted the concept with existing systems such as the Shahed family of one-way attack drones and more expensive cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk and Storm Shadow. He argued that AI-enabled autonomy could combine the scalability of lower-cost systems with some of the capabilities associated with longer-range missiles.

The system is intended to address a gap between inexpensive one-way attack drones and significantly more costly long-range missiles. Its emphasis on canisterized launch and autonomous operation is also aimed at making the system easier to deploy in larger numbers. The company describes this combination of range, autonomy, and scalability as central to its approach to future deep-strike missions.

Limited public details

Defence Blog reported that IRIFI is being developed as a long-range, one-way attack system and noted that key specifications, including its payload, speed, price, testing status, and customers, remain undisclosed. The publication also reported that Harmattan AI was founded in Paris in 2024 and raised a $200 million Series B round in January 2026, led by Dassault Aviation, valuing the company at a reported $1.4 billion.

IRIFI joins Harmattan AI’s existing portfolio, which includes the Gobi interceptor, Sahara surveillance system, and Barkhan tactical strike platform. To assess how the system compares with established long-range strike weapons, we need details on testing, real-world range, payload, and production plans.