Kargu-2 / STM

The Kargu-2 is a quadcopter loitering munition: four electric rotors, 7 kg weight, 30 minutes of endurance, 10 km range, 1.3 kg warhead (anti-personnel or EFP anti-armor). The controversy around the Kargu-2: a UN Panel of Experts report (S/2021/229, Libya 2020) suggested that a Kargu-2 had "autonomously attacked a target without a datalink" — which would mean it was the first reported deployment of a fully autonomous lethal weapon against a human. This interpretation has, however, been disputed by STM and not independently verified; some experts argue that "autonomous" in the report likely refers to a programmed flight plan, not autonomous target selection. STM states that the system requires operator confirmation by default. Regardless, the Kargu-2 illustrates the doctrinal unease around LAWS (Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems) and has been further extended since 2023 with "swarm intelligence" (Kargu-1A SIHA swarm).