STARK OWE-V Virtus is a German electric VTOL loitering munition built around rapid launch, autonomous navigation, and strike use in EW-contested environments. Ukrainian battlefield reporting documents Virtus employment with Vector reconnaissance drones during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, while STARK markets the system for mass precision strikes and later secured German Bundeswehr delivery plans.
Ukrainian reporting in August 2025 described Armed Forces of Ukraine use of a STARK Virtus loitering munition in Zaporizhzhia, where a Vector reconnaissance UAV identified a Russian target and passed coordinates for the strike.
Role detailsVirtus combines an electric VTOL launch profile with fixed-wing cruise and a terminal dive, allowing crews to launch without a catapult, tube, runway, or prepared pad. STARK describes the system as software-defined and designed for rapid deployment, while Ukrainian reporting ties the weapon to sensor-to-shooter use with Vector reconnaissance UAVs.
Electric vertical takeoff and landing, with the official product page listing deployment in under 10 minutes.
Official specifications list a modular payload up to 5 kg and penetration claim of 800 mm high-hardness armor.
STARK describes layered communications, visual odometry, satellite-imagery localization, and landmark-based navigation for low-connectivity and GNSS-denied environments.
The product page says Virtus can integrate with Minerva for swarm use or operation with an ISR drone.
STARK uses OWE-V to describe the Virtus vertical-takeoff one-way-effector configuration.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| OWE-V Virtus | Electric VTOL one-way effector | The official product page identifies Virtus as STARK's flagship loitering munition and lists the technical specifications for the OWE-V configuration. Sources: STARK Virtus Product Page |
Virtus has been publicly documented in a recce-strike sequence where a reconnaissance UAV found the target and enabled the loitering munition strike.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Reconnaissance UAV | UNITED24 reported that Ukrainian forces combined Quantum Systems Vector with a STARK Virtus in a live operation, with Vector identifying the target and relaying coordinates for the Virtus strike. Sources: UNITED24 Virtus Debut Strike |
UNITED24 described Virtus as a German STARK autonomous loitering munition developed under the OWE-V project name with vertical takeoff, onboard autonomy, and a five-kilogram payload class.
Sources: UNITED24 Virtus Unveiling
UNITED24 reported that a Quantum Systems video released on 23 August 2025 showed Ukrainian forces using Vector reconnaissance support and a STARK Virtus loitering munition in Zaporizhzhia.
Sources: UNITED24 Virtus Debut Strike
STARK said it signed a framework agreement with the German Armed Forces for Virtus deliveries starting in 2026 after Bundestag budget approval.
Sources: STARK Bundeswehr Virtus Agreement
Defense Express reported that Virtus loitering munitions and Vector reconnaissance UAVs had been integrated through STARK's Minerva command-and-control system, with both drone types supplied to Ukrainian forces.
Sources: Defense Express Virtus Vector Swarm
