Bengaluru-made 'suicide drones' make debut with Operation Sindoor

BENGALURU: SkyStriker suicide drones designed to locate, acquire and strike operator-designated targets with a warhead installed in the fuselage were part of Operation Sindoor early Wednesday, vindicating the Indian Army's decision to add these unmanned aerial vehicles - " loitering munitions " in military parlance - to its arsenal post-Balakot.

Sources confirmed to TOI that an unspecified number of these suicide drones were manufactured in an industrial estate in western Bengaluru as part of a joint venture involving Bengaluru-headquartered Alpha Design and Israel's Elbit Security Systems. The Army had placed an emergency procurement order in 2021 for 100-odd SkyStrikers.

With a range of 100km, each suicide drone is an autonomous system carrying a 5kg or 10kg warhead. Its electric propulsion offers a minimal acoustic signature, allowing covert operations at low altitude.

Alpha Design's CMD, Colonel (retd) HS Shankar, declined to comment on reports about SkyStrikers playing a role in Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure at several locations in Pakistan. "Such queries must only be referred to the govt authorities," he added.

SkyStriker is touted as a cost-effective loitering munition while being capable of long-range precision strikes. The drone improves performance, situational awareness and survivability by providing direct-fire aerial-precision capabilities to manoeuvrable troops and special forces.

Elbit, in a description of the drone, says the SkyStriker flies like a UAS (unmanned aircraft system) and strikes like a missile. "As a silent, invisible, and surprise attacker, SkyStriker delivers the utmost in precision and reliability, providing a critical advantage in the modern battlefield."

While seek-and-destroy missions remain central to military strategy, but newer technologies like loitering munitions have transformed sensor-to-shooter operations.