Threatened India issues flurry of UAV orders
The SkyStriker is a fully autonomous loitering munition that carries either a 5kg or 10kg warhead. (Elbit Systems)
Swarm UAVs, loitering munitions and counter-UAS systems are now all on Indian order books.
In an unprecedented move, India’s MoD has signed multiple niche contracts cumulatively worth around $180 million for UAVs. These are mostly with the private sector under emergency procurement contracts.
The volatile situation on India’s borders, with increasing UAV attacks and hostile neighbours, to which Afghanistan is a recent addition, has necessitated the move.
The Indian Army that bestowed the lion’s share of orders will get around 100 SkyStriker loitering munitions to be supplied in a year by a JV between Bengaluru-based Alpha Design and Elbit Systems. The SkyStriker was used during the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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