Munitions

Halcon Thunder P-31

Also known as
  • Thunder P-31
  • Thunder P31
  • HALCON Thunder P-31
  • Thunder (P-31)
  • Thunder P31 guidance kit
  • P3 Thunder P-31

Halcon Thunder P-31 is the MK-81-class member of the UAE-produced Thunder precision-guidance-kit family. EDGE and HALCON sources describe it as a drop-launched, unpropelled air-to-surface kit using GNSS-assisted inertial guidance, with an optional semi-active laser seeker configuration and a 27 km listed range.

Halcon Thunder P-31, Precision-guidance kit for MK-81-class aerial munitions, Munitions
Image source: EDGE Thunder P-31 product page
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United Arab Emirates
Built by
Halcon
Type
Precision-guidance kit for MK-81-class aerial munitions
Service note
2010s-present precision-guided munition family
Designer
Halcon
Designed
Publicly marketed by the early 2020s

Specifications

Compatible munition
MK-81-class general-purpose aerial munition
Guidance
GAINS (GNSS-assisted INS); semi-active laser seeker configuration listed
Accuracy
3 m CEP with GAINS plus SAL seeker; 10 m CEP with GAINS only
Range
27 km listed for P-31
Gross weight
140 kg
Warhead
110 kg
Release altitude
40,000 ft listed in official EDGE material
Weapon class
Drop-launched, unpropelled short-range guidance-kit munition
Guidance And Fitment

Thunder P-31 sits between a free-fall MK-81-class bomb body and a powered missile: public sources describe a drop-launched, unpropelled guidance-kit weapon. Its standard guidance path is GNSS-assisted inertial navigation to pre-programmed coordinates, while the semi-active laser seeker configuration gives the weapon a terminal-designation option.

Thunder family position

P-31 is the MK-81-class member, P-32 is the MK-82-class member, and EDGE also lists a P-4 configuration for MK-84-class munitions.

Known public status

Public sources support manufacturer, compatibility, display, local-user, and specification context. No reviewed source directly tied Thunder P-31 itself to a named conflict.

Variants

The Thunder P line adapts the same short-range guidance-kit concept to different Mark 80-series bomb bodies; P-31 is the MK-81-class member.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Thunder P-32, Precision-guidance kit for MK-82-class aerial munitions, MunitionsThunder P-32MK-82-class Thunder family member

EDGE lists P-32 as the heavier Thunder configuration for MK-82-class general-purpose aerial munitions, with a 240 kg gross weight, 209 kg warhead, and 24 km listed range.

Sources: EDGE Thunder P-31 product page, HALCON Thunder P-31 and P-32 brochure

Thunder P-4MK-84-class Thunder family member

EDGE and Army Recognition list P-4 as the Thunder configuration for MK-84-class general-purpose aerial munitions; no public catalog record exists for Thunder P-4 yet.

Sources: EDGE Halcon entity page, Army Recognition P3 Thunder overview

Bomb Body Compatibility

Thunder P-31 is documented as the MK-81-class member of the Thunder guidance-kit family, converting a compatible 250-pound-class bomb body into a guided air-to-surface weapon.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Mark 81 bomb, 250-pound general-purpose bomb, MunitionsMark 81 bomb250-pound general-purpose bomb body

EDGE identifies P-31 as the Thunder configuration fitted to MK-81 general-purpose aerial munitions.

Sources: EDGE Thunder P-31 product page, HALCON Thunder P-31 and P-32 brochure

Displayed Carrier Integration

Public integration evidence is limited to display and integration-program context, not operational use.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
MQ-9 Reaper, Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVsMQ-9 ReaperMQ-9B SkyGuardian display and integration aircraft family

Defense Mirror reported an IDEX 2023 General Atomics image showing MQ-9B SkyGuardian fitted with Halcon Thunder P-31, Thunder P-32, and Desert Sting systems, while noting the weapons likely had not yet been tested on the aircraft. GA-ASI later announced EDGE smart-weapon integration work for MQ-9B, including HALCON's THUNDER family.

Sources: Defense Mirror MQ-9B Halcon display, GA-ASI EDGE MQ-9B integration

Timeline

Halcon Thunder P-31 Key Events

  1. P3 Thunder family described publicly

    Army Recognition described HALCON's P3 Thunder as a family of short-range guidance kits for MK-81 and MK-82 general-purpose aerial munitions, using GNSS-assisted inertial guidance and an optional semi-active laser seeker.

  2. UAE Armed Forces THUNDER supply contract announced

    EDGE announced that HALCON had signed an AED 2.14 billion contract to supply THUNDER P3 Light precision-guided munitions to the UAE Armed Forces, with the contracted weapons fitted with semi-active laser seekers.

  3. MQ-9B display image shown at IDEX

    Defense Mirror reported that General Atomics displayed an MQ-9B SkyGuardian image fitted with Halcon Thunder P-31, Thunder P-32, and Desert Sting systems at IDEX 2023, while cautioning that Halcon weapons likely had not yet been tested on the aircraft.

  4. GA-ASI and EDGE announce MQ-9B integration work

    General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced an agreement with EDGE to integrate EDGE smart weapons, including HALCON's Thunder family, onto the MQ-9B SkyGuardian.

  5. Thunder ER framed as an extension of P-31 and P-32

    EDR Magazine reported from Dubai Airshow 2025 that the Thunder ER concept builds on the P-31 and P-32 kits, which HALCON leadership described as in production for several years and in operation with a local user.

Related Weapon Systems
Paveway laser-guided bomb, Laser-guided bomb guidance-kit family, MunitionsMunitionsPaveway laser-guided bombLaser-guided bomb guidance-kit familyPaveway is a U.S.-origin family of laser-guided bomb kits that turns conventional gravity bombs into precision air-to-surface weapons by adding a seeker, computer-control group, and airfoil surfaces. Raytheon traces production to 1968, while later Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon UK lines cover Paveway II, Paveway III, dual-mode Enhanced Paveway, Paveway IV, and Paveway II Plus kits documented in combat-use and transfer records from the Falklands and Gulf War through Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, and Yemen.
LS-6 guided bomb family, Satellite-aided inertially guided glide bomb family, MunitionsMunitionsLS-6 guided bomb familySatellite-aided inertially guided glide bomb familyThe LS-6 guided bomb family is a Chinese satellite-aided inertially guided glide-bomb kit from the Luoyang Optoelectro Technology Development Center. Public references describe 50 kg, 100 kg, 250 kg, and 500 kg variants, GPS/INS guidance, and compact derivatives intended for internal carriage on stealth fighters such as the Chengdu J-20. Indian news and government-media reports from the 2004 War in North-West Pakistan also connect LS-6 bombs to a Pakistani JF-17 strike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in September 2025.

Sources

EDGE Thunder P-31 product pagePublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the Halcon-branded Thunder P-31 identity, official image provenance, MK-81 fitment, guidance modes, accuracy, P-31 range, gross weight, warhead, release-altitude figure, and P-31/P-32 family comparison. | Accessed: 2026-07-13HALCON Thunder P-31 and P-32 brochurePublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the Thunder P-31/P-32 brochure context, family fitment, guidance, accuracy, range, mass, warhead, and release-altitude specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-13EDGE Halcon entity pagePublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports Halcon as an EDGE precision-guided munitions manufacturer, its gravity-release weapon-system production context, and the Thunder P31, P32, and P4 configuration list. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Army Recognition P3 Thunder overviewPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports independent background for HALCON's P3 Thunder family, MK-81/P-31 and MK-82/P-32 fitment, P4/MK-84 context, GAINS guidance, optional semi-active laser seeker, and drop-launched unpropelled kit framing. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Defense Mirror MQ-9B Halcon displayPublisher: Defense Mirror | Note: Supports IDEX 2023 display context for an MQ-9B SkyGuardian image fitted with Halcon Thunder P-31, Thunder P-32, and Desert Sting systems, while noting that the Halcon weapons likely had not been tested on the aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-07-13GA-ASI EDGE MQ-9B integrationPublisher: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems | Note: Supports the November 2023 GA-ASI and EDGE agreement to integrate EDGE smart weapons, including HALCON's THUNDER family, onto MQ-9B SkyGuardian. | Accessed: 2026-07-13EDGE THUNDER PGM UAE contractPublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the February 2023 AED 2.14 billion contract for HALCON to supply THUNDER P3 Light precision-guided munitions with semi-active laser seekers to the UAE Armed Forces, and supports the broader THUNDER line as guided kits for Mark-series general-purpose aerial munitions. | Accessed: 2026-07-13EDR Magazine Thunder ER reportPublisher: EDR Magazine | Note: Supports 2025 context that Thunder ER extends the P-31/P-32 family, public statements that P-31 and P-32 had been in production for several years, and the local-user operation caveat without naming a conflict. | Accessed: 2026-07-13