Bengaluru-built suicide drones play crucial role in Operation Sindoor strikes: Report

The Indian Army had placed an emergency procurement order in 2021 for over 100 such drones, anticipating their utility in evolving combat scenarios.

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.

Suicide drones that are used in Operation Sindoor were reportedly made in Bengaluru. (X/Varun Karthikeyan)

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.

Why are these drones special?

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.

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.