Latest news with #SkyStrikers
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Imagined in Israel, built in Bengaluru, how SkyStriker suicide drones hit terror targets during Operation Sindoor
When India launched 'Operation Sindoor' in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, SkyStriker suicide drones built in Bengaluru played a crucial role in destroying terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Defence sources in Delhi confirmed that Skystriker suicide drones were used in the operation. Bengaluru-headquartered Alpha Design Technologies, in partnership with Israel's Elbit Systems, manufactured the drones in Bengaluru. Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited has a 26 per cent stake in Alpha Design Technologies. Speaking to The Indian Express, Colonel (retd) H S Shankar, Chief Managing Director, Alpha Design Technologies, said the Ministry of Defence has asked him not to speak to the media. Incidentally, H S Shankar, who has served in Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) before, was the project director when Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were designed. According to the sources, the Indian Army had placed an order for 100 SkyStrikers in 2021, and the SkyStriker drone was also exhibited during the Aero India expo that year. However, the defence forces have not disclosed the number of SkyStrikers used for Operation Sindoor. Elbit, which conceptualised the SkyStriker drone, has mentioned on its website that the unmanned aircraft system is capable of carrying out long-range, precise tactical strikes. The SkyStriker suicide drone can carry a warhead of up to 10 kg. Elbit states, 'As a silent, invisible, and surprise attacker, SkyStriker delivers the utmost in precision and reliability, providing a critical advantage in the modern battlefield. SkyStriker provides manoeuvrable troops and Special Forces with direct-fire aerial-precision capabilities, enhancing situational awareness and survivability.'
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
This Bengaluru-based company manufactured the suicide drones used in Operation Sindoor to punish Pakistan
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Made in Bengaluru, used in cross-border strike No official comment from manufacturer SkyStriker's capabilities Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Changing face of modern warfare Pakistan Drone attack India confirms strikes on Pakistan's air defence systems Harop drones: A loitering munition for precise strikes The Indian Army deployed SkyStriker drones during Operation Sindoor early Wednesday, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, according to sources. These drones , also known as loitering munitions , were part of a 2021 emergency procurement order and are jointly developed by India and Israel, a TOI report told The Times of India (TOI) that SkyStriker drones were manufactured in an industrial estate in western Bengaluru. The production was part of a joint venture between Bengaluru-based Alpha Design and Israel's Elbit Security Systems. The Army had ordered around 100 SkyStrikers under an emergency procurement in 2021, following the Balakot air drone is equipped with a 5kg or 10kg warhead and has a range of 100 kilometres. Its electric propulsion system helps reduce noise, making it suitable for covert missions at low asked about the drone's role in Operation Sindoor, Alpha Design's chairman and managing director Colonel (retd) HS Shankar declined to confirm. 'Such queries must only be referred to the govt authorities,' he is promoted as a cost-effective solution for long-range precision strikes. The drone supports direct aerial fire missions and enhances operational awareness and survivability for ground describes the drone as one that "flies like a UAS (unmanned aircraft system) and strikes like a missile." The company adds, 'As a silent, invisible, and surprise attacker, SkyStriker delivers the utmost in precision and reliability, providing a critical advantage in the modern battlefield.'Military operations now increasingly rely on technologies like loitering munitions, which change the way targets are identified and engaged. These systems combine surveillance and attack functions, offering an integrated tool for sensor-to-shooter Pakistan Army on Thursday reported explosions in multiple cities including Lahore, Karachi, and Sialkot. According to the Pakistan Army spokesperson, the blasts were caused by Harop loitering munition drones. He described the drone strikes as 'a serious serious provocation' and presented images of drone debris during a press a statement, the Ministry of Defence said, "Today morning Indian Armed Forces targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan. Indian response has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised."The ministry also stated, "On the night of 07-08 May 2025, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles. These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks."The Harop drone is built by the MBT Missiles Division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is designed to operate as a loitering munition—capable of hovering over an area and striking targets when directed. The drone can function autonomously or under remote control, and can return if no target is combines the roles of both a UAV and a missile. It is intended to track and hit critical military targets such as tanks, radar installations, air defence units, command posts, and supply stations. The drone uses electro-optical sensors to observe and confirm targets before crashing into them and detonating on drone can operate for up to nine hours, scanning a pre-defined area to locate and attack from multiple angles. It does not depend on pre-fed target information and is designed to function in environments with GNSS signal interference.
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru-built suicide drones play crucial role in Operation Sindoor strikes: Report
In a major technological breakthrough for India's defense capabilities, suicide drones manufactured in Bengaluru made their operational debut during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army's high-precision counter-terror mission launched early Wednesday. Also Read - DK Shivakumar proposes dedicated flyover from Hebbal to Bengaluru airport, writes to Nitin Gadkari According to a report in The Times of India, the drones, known as SkyStrikers, were deployed to execute pinpoint strikes on terror infrastructure across Bahawalpur and Muridke in Pakistan, targeting key bases of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often referred to as loitering munitions, are designed to hover over a battlefield, locate enemy targets, and destroy them with onboard explosive, essentially functioning as airborne kamikaze units. What makes this mission especially significant is the origin of the drones: they were reportedly built in an industrial estate in western Bengaluru. The SkyStrikers are the product of a joint venture between Alpha Design Technologies, headquartered in Bengaluru, and Israel's Elbit Systems. The Indian Army had placed an emergency procurement order in 2021 for over 100 such drones, anticipating their utility in evolving combat scenarios post-Balakot, said the report furtger. Also Read - Bengaluru airport issues advisory as flight cancellations hit amid Operation Sindhoor airspace curbs Each SkyStriker drone is equipped with either a 5kg or 10kg warhead, and has a range of up to 100 kilometers. The electric propulsion system ensures a minimal acoustic footprint, enabling silent and covert operations even at low altitudes. Their autonomous navigation and precision-guidance system allow them to strike like a missile while being harder to detect or intercept. The SkyStriker is also said to be cost-effective, next-gen weapon that improves situational awareness, survivability, and accuracy for troops, especially during special forces operations. These drones enable direct-fire aerial attacks on high-value targets without risking soldiers' lives. Elbit Systems describes the drone as behaving like a UAV but striking with the precision and surprise of a missile. 'As a silent, invisible, and surprise attacker, SkyStriker delivers the utmost in precision and reliability, offering a critical edge in modern warfare,' the company is quoted as a saying by the publication.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Fire breaks out at Apollo Industrial Estate in Andheri
India's 'SkyStrikers' Shake Pakistan; 'Secret Drone' Which Asim Munir's Forces Failed To Detect India has joined the league of top military drone powers by deploying SkyStriker loitering munitions in Operation Sindoor to strike terror targets across Pakistan and PoK. Sources revealed that these autonomous, precision-guided suicide drones played a critical role in the multi-branch strike, delivering lethal payloads with surgical precision. Developed jointly by Bengaluru-based Alpha Design and Israel's Elbit Systems, these drones are powered by electric propulsion for stealth, and carry 5–10kg warheads with a range of up to 100km. Though Alpha Design declined direct confirmation, the deployment of SkyStrikers reflects India's rising status as a technologically advanced military force, especially in drone warfare post-Balakot.#india #drones #skystriker #pakistan #operationsindoor #pmmodi Times Of India
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Time of India
India's ‘SkyStrikers' Shake Pakistan; ‘Secret Drone' Which Asim Munir's Forces Failed To Detect
/ May 08, 2025, 08:43AM IST India has joined the league of top military drone powers by deploying SkyStriker loitering munitions in Operation Sindoor to strike terror targets across Pakistan and PoK. Sources revealed that these autonomous, precision-guided suicide drones played a critical role in the multi-branch strike, delivering lethal payloads with surgical precision. Developed jointly by Bengaluru-based Alpha Design and Israel's Elbit Systems, these drones are powered by electric propulsion for stealth, and carry 5–10kg warheads with a range of up to 100km. Though Alpha Design declined direct confirmation, the deployment of SkyStrikers reflects India's rising status as a technologically advanced military force, especially in drone warfare post-Balakot.#india #drones #skystriker #pakistan #operationsindoor #pmmodi
