In a clear demonstration of advancing precision capabilities, the Bengaluru-assembled SkyStriker loitering munition successfully detected, engaged and destroyed a designated target during a realistic operational scenario at Rajasthan’s Mahajan Field Firing Range as part of the 22nd edition of the India-US bilateral exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026.
Keywords: Yudh Abhyas 2026, SkyStriker loitering munition, India-US military exercise, Mahajan Field Firing Range, Indian Army unmanned systems, counter-drone tactics, India-US defence partnership
The Indian Army released video footage showing the munition performing the full kill chain in a demanding desert environment. Capable of carrying either a 5 kg or 10 kg warhead and with a reported operational reach of up to 100 kilometres, the SkyStriker, developed by Israel’s Elbit Systems and manufactured in partnership with Alpha Design Technologies, features electric propulsion that confers a low acoustic signature, enabling covert low-altitude approaches. Its ability to loiter, re-acquire and re-engage targets offers tactical flexibility that conventional munitions cannot match.
Yudh Abhyas 2026, which began on 15 September and runs concurrently at Mahajan and the high-altitude Auli Foreign Training Node in Uttarakhand, has brought together approximately 600 troops from each side. Training has focused on interoperability, Integrated Battle Group operations, artillery coordination and counter-drone tactics across desert and mountain terrain. Live-fire serials have featured India’s Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, M777 ultra-light howitzers, Dhanush guns, AH-64E Apache helicopters and Swathi weapon-locating radars alongside US systems including HIMARS and the Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS).
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor visited the Mahajan range and described the joint training as a reflection of the strength of our defence partnership, trust, readiness, interoperability, and shared purpose. The SkyStriker engagement, the Army noted, highlighted the growing role of indigenous defence technology and unmanned systems in accelerating decision-making on the contemporary battlefield.
The successful strike reinforces India’s expanding suite of loitering munitions and underscores the practical value of sustained India-US military engagement. As both armies refine multi-domain tactics and counter-drone measures, Yudh Abhyas 2026 continues to serve as a vital platform for enhancing mutual readiness in an increasingly complex security environment.
contact: drrajeshjauhri@gmail.com
Dr Rajesh Jauhri is a Journalist with an experience of over 25 years in Indian and foreign media, a Social Scientist, an Ac-complished Author, a Political & Strategic Analyst, a Marksman (Rifle & Pistol), an Orator, a Thinker and an Educationist. He holds a Ph.D. degree on “Impact of colonial heritage on Indian police”. He runs an NGO dedicated to the social and eco-nomic uplift of tribal communities in MP and two decades back, he established a school in a village of Indore district, providing education and moral values to children belonging to underprivileged and minority families. Has received multiple awards in various fields.