India used Low-Cost Miniature Swarm Drones or Loitering Munition Systems (LMS) while executing Operation Sindoor early on Wednesday. Operation Sindoor marked a significant shift in India’s tactical capabilities and flaunted a new range of weaponry. India employed a range of high-precision, long-range strike weapons during the operation, including the SCALP cruise missile, the HAMMER precision-guided bomb, and loitering munitions.
Using advanced precision weaponry and real-time intelligence, the Army, Navy, and Air Force conducted the strikes in coordination, avoiding any engagement with Pakistani military installations.
What is Suicide Drone ‘SkyStriker’?
Developed jointly by Bengaluru-based Alpha Design and Israel’s Elbit Systems, the ‘SkyStriker’ is the variant believed to have been deployed in the attacks. Unlike traditional UAVs, loitering munitions can hover over a target area before locking onto a target and striking with high precision.
The Army had reportedly placed an emergency procurement order in 2021 for 100 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.
The SkyStriker provides troops with the ability to conduct real-time reconnaissance and direct strikes without exposing personnel to risk.
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.
SkyStrikers were deployed effectively in anti-terror operations, specifically in targeting infrastructure across the border in Pakistan-occupied regions. These suicide drones, also known as Kamikaze drones, are cost-effective and capable of long-range strikes.
However, India has not officially confirmed the deployment of these drones.
What is Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor was a series of targeted attacks at terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). This comes in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, mostly tourists dead.
Under the operation, described by PM Modi as a “Moment of pride for India”, nine facilities linked to banned terrorist outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen were targeted. The attacks were carried out between 1.05-1.30 am on May 7, Wednesday. Four of the nine sites were located inside Pakistan, while the remaining five were in POK. However, no Pakistani military installations were targeted.
