Israel's Elbit to supply mystery European state with $95 million SkyStriker drones

Elbit Systems Ltd. announced on Monday that it had been awarded a $95 million contract to supply SkyStriker loitering munitions to an undisclosed European country.

The contract is for several hundred SkyStriker units to be delivered over two years.

Elbit Systems’ SkyStriker is a fully autonomous loitering munition that can locate, acquire, and engage operator-designated targets with a warhead of up to 10 kg., allowing it to perform with high-precision.

SkyStriker can be launched from both the ground and the air, including from a dedicated canister on Elbit Systems’ PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) rocket artillery.

Equipped with a quiet electrical engine, the SkyStriker allows for covert operations of up to 2 hours and with a range of 100 km. The system can precisely hit targets while maintaining a “man in the loop” even in GPS and communication-denied environments.

The drone can use a number of warhead types using a modular design, allowing it to be interchanged in the field during pre-flight, according to the requirements of the operation.

Yoram Shmuely, General Manager of Elbit Systems Aerospace: “We are pleased to deliver an innovative and effective solution to our customers that combines Elbit Systems air and ground solutions. As a covert and agile platform, the SkyStriker loitering munition delivers high-performance precision and reliability, providing a mission-critical advantage to warfighters on the modern battlefield.”

Success in Azerbaijan

SkyStriker was one of the drones used to devastating effect by Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, leading to their victory in the war and leading to the expulsion of Armenian forces from the region.

Drones are believed to have played a decisive role in the war as only Azerbaijan was equipped with loitering drones and had been intensely purchasing them for several years beforehand.