Made-in-Bengaluru SkyStriker UAVs deployed in Operation Sindoor

An undisclosed number of SkyStriker drones, made in Bengaluru through an India-Israel partnership, were deployed in India's cross-border strikes during Operation Sindoor

SkyStriker drones were reportedly deployed as part of Operation Sindoor, a 25-minute “measured and non-escalatory” Indian armed forces operation targeting nine terrorist camps across Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), according to a report by The Times of India. The joint land and air operation marked India’s first strike in Pakistan’s Punjab since the 1971 war.

 

The French “SCALP” air-launched cruise missile, the French “HAMMER” smart air-to-surface stand-off weapon, and other systems were also deployed during the strikes.

 

An undisclosed number of these suicide drones were produced at a manufacturing facility in western Bengaluru through a collaborative partnership between Alpha Design, based in Bengaluru, and Elbit Security Systems of Israel. The Indian Army placed an urgent procurement order for approximately 100 SkyStriker units in 2021, the report stated.

 

 

 

What is the SkyStriker?

 

According to Elbit, the SkyStriker flies like an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and strikes like a missile. It is classified as a loitering munition (LM) designed for long-range, precision tactical strikes. The SkyStriker has a low acoustic signature, enabling stealthy, low-altitude missions. Powered by electric propulsion, it can identify, track and engage operator-designated targets using a 5 or 10 kg warhead housed within its fuselage.

 

What are loitering munitions?

 

Loitering munitions are also known as suicide drones, kamikaze drones or exploding drones. These unmanned aerial vehicles are built to remain over a target zone, detect threats and strike them with precision. Unlike conventional missiles, these systems can delay engagement until the ideal moment, minimising the likelihood of collateral damage.

 

 

India’s response to Pahalgam attack

 

The operation followed the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, primarily tourists. The mission targeted nine specific sites linked to the planning and coordination of cross-border attacks on Indian soil. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the operation as India’s exercise of its “Right to Respond” to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

 

Over 200 flights cancelled, 18 airports shut temporarily

 

Over 200 flights have been cancelled and at least 18 airports in northern and western India temporarily shut following airspace restrictions imposed after India’s precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK. Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and some foreign carriers cancelled services to and from multiple airports.