The M93 Hornet is an anti-tank off-route munition made of lightweight material (35 pounds) that one person can carry and employ. The Hornet is a non-recoverable munition that is capable of acquiring targets by using sound and motion detection methods. It will automatically search, detect, recognize, and engage moving targets by using top attack at a standoff distance up to 100 meters from deployment site. It is employed by combat engineers, rangers, and SOF.

The RCU is a hand-held encoding unit that interfaces with the Hornet when the remote mode is selected at the time of employment. After encoding, the RCU can be used to arm the Hornet, reset its self-destruct (SD) times, or destroy it. The maximum operating distance for the RCU is 2 kilometers.
High winds, heavy rain, snow, ice, extreme cold, and extreme heat reduce the Hornet's ability to detect targets at maximum range. Radio-frequency (RF) jamming devices (such as the hand-emplaced, expandable jammer [HEXJAM]), limit the Hornet's communication capabilities if they are placed in the munition field, but they will not affect the Hornet's ability to engage targets and will not damage the system. RF jamming devices will also affect the remote arming of current Hornet systems.

The Hornet's active battery pack is inserted during pre-arming and has an estimated life of four hours. The active battery pack powers the munition from the time it is inserted until the end of the safe-separation time, when the built-in reserve battery is activated. To prevent munitions from becoming duds, do not pre-arm them too early. Allow adequate time for traveling to the obstacle site, emplacing mines, throwing arming switches, and expiration of safe-separation times.

Once the Hornet is armed and the self-test is performed, the munition will remain active until its SD time expires or until it is encountered. The SD time (4 hours, 48 hours, 5 days, 15 days, or 30 days) is determined by the user. The munition will self-detonate after the SD time has expired.

Hornet munitions have an employed life of 60 days in the pre-armed mode (remote arming) and 30 days in the armed mode. If the temperature exceeds 100ºF, the employed life drops to 15 days in the pre-armed mode and 30 days in the armed mode.

ADVANCED HORNET
The Advanced Hornet will be an enhanced version of the Hornet currently fielded. It will provide the soldier with an ability to control munitions and munition fields, and obtain reports of individual munition status. Its components will include a two-way command and control (C2) system, and a removable battery pack for redeployability.

The C2 system consists of a Hand-held Terminal Unit (HTU), a Harris RF5800V manpack radio and a communications module, which is contained within the Hornet. This feature will replace the Hornet's one-way communications links. Advanced Hornet will also provide enhanced lethality through the use of an improved warhead and sensor, and improved algorithms.

As battlefields change, the Advanced Hornet's redeploy command will allow the munition to be retrieved, reset and redeployed in alternate locations prior to arming. After arming, the munition may be remotely controlled to attack vehicles in the same autonomous manner as the basic Hornet, send intelligence reports to the soldier's platoon via the HTU, self-destruct or disable the arming circuits to allow friendly forces to pass through.