SkyStriker, a kamikaze drone engineered to detect, pursue, and neutralize operator-selected targets with an integrated warhead, played a crucial role in Operation Sindoor conducted early Wednesday. This marks a strategic endorsement of the Indian Army’s choice to incorporate such unmanned aerial vehicles—also termed loitering munitions—into its defense suite post the Balakot airstrike.
Insiders revealed to TOI that an undisclosed quantity of these drones was developed in a western Bengaluru industrial hub. The production stemmed from a collaborative venture between Alpha Design Technologies, based in Bengaluru, and Israel’s Elbit Security Systems. In 2021, the Army urgently acquired around 100 units of the SkyStriker.
Each drone has a 100-kilometer operational radius and is fully autonomous, equipped with either a 5kg or 10kg explosive payload. Its electric motor allows for near-silent flight, facilitating stealth operations at low altitudes.
Alpha Design’s Chairman, Col. (retd) HS Shankar, opted not to confirm the drones’ involvement in the cross-border operation targeting militant camps, stating such inquiries fall under official government jurisdiction.
Marketed as an affordable and highly accurate loitering weapon, the SkyStriker enhances tactical advantage by offering direct-strike precision from above to ground forces and special ops. Elbit describes it as an unmanned aircraft that operates like a drone but hits like a missile—offering stealth, reliability, and lethal precision in high-risk environments.
With advancements like loitering drones, the traditional sensor-to-shooter chain is being revolutionized, redefining future battlefield dynamics.
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