SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Army has bolstered its arsenal with the introduction of SkyStriker suicide drones, designed and manufactured in Bengaluru, as part of Operation Sindoor. The operation, launched on Wednesday, targets “loitering munition” aerial vehicles to enhance military capabilities post-Balakot, sources confirmed to The Times of India.
These drones, developed through a collaboration between Bengaluru-headquartered Alpha Design and Israel’s Elbit Security Systems, are engineered to locate, acquire, and strike operator-designated targets with precision. With a range of 100 km, each SkyStriker drone carries a 5 kg or 10 kg warhead and operates silently, leveraging electric propulsion for minimal acoustic signatures during low-altitude missions.
Alpha Design’s CMD, Colonel (retd) HS Shankar, emphasized the drone’s role in Operation Sindoor, which focuses on dismantling terrorist infrastructure at key locations in Pakistan. “SkyStriker is a cost-effective loitering munition capable of long-range precision strikes,” Shankar said. “It enhances performance, situational awareness, and survivability by providing direct-fire aerial-precision capabilities to maneuverable troops and special forces.”
Elbit describes the SkyStriker as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that “flies like a UAS and strikes like a missile.” Its stealth design ensures it remains a silent and surprise attacker, delivering precision and reliability critical for modern battlefields.
The Army had placed an emergency procurement order for over 100 SkyStrikers in 2021, following the need for advanced seek-and-destroy capabilities. While loitering munitions remain central to military strategy, emerging technologies like sensor-to-shooter operations are transforming modern warfare, offering new tactical advantages.
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