The Indian Army successfully employed the SkyStriker loitering munition during Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026, detecting, engaging, and accurately striking a designated target at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
The demonstration occurred in a realistic operational environment as part of the 22nd edition of the annual India-United States bilateral military exercise. The Indian Army released video footage on X showing the munition locating the target, manoeuvring into position, and delivering a precise impact.
Yudh Abhyas 2026 commenced on 15 September 2026 and is being conducted simultaneously at the Auli Foreign Training Node in Uttarakhand, focused on mountain warfare, and at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, which hosts live-fire drills and demonstrations of advanced systems.
Approximately 600 personnel from each army are participating. The exercise aims to enhance joint capabilities for Integrated Battle Groups in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain, with particular emphasis on infantry-dominated operations, interoperability, and the integration of drones and autonomous platforms.
The SkyStriker, developed by Israel’s Elbit Systems and manufactured in India through a partnership with Bengaluru-based Alpha Design Technologies, is a tactical loitering munition designed for long-range precision strikes. It is a fully autonomous system capable of locating and acquiring operator-designated targets before striking.
The platform carries either a 5 kg or 10 kg warhead and uses electric propulsion that produces a low acoustic signature, enabling covert low-altitude operations. It is equipped with a gimballed dual CCD and infrared seeker with a synchronised dual tracker, and it can abort, go around, or re-engage as required. Manufacturer data indicate it can cover 20 km in approximately 10 minutes, with endurance of up to two hours (5 kg warhead) or one hour (10 kg warhead) and a reported operational range of up to 100 km in certain configurations. Terminal dive speeds reach up to 300 knots.
The system is intended to provide manoeuvring troops and special forces with an organic aerial precision-strike option against point targets such as enemy positions, light vehicles, or radar and communication nodes, while also contributing to situational awareness. Several reports note that SkyStriker systems were previously employed during Operation Sindoor.
The live-fire demonstration formed part of a broader showcase that included Indian systems such as the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, M777 ultra-light howitzer, Dhanush artillery, AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, L70 air-defence guns, and Swathi weapon-locating radars, alongside United States assets including HIMARS and M-LIDS. United States Ambassador Sergio Gor observed firing demonstrations and commended the defence partnership.
The successful engagement underscores the growing operational role of loitering munitions and unmanned systems in contemporary multi-domain warfare, as well as India’s expanding indigenous and co-developed defence manufacturing capabilities.
