Elbit Systems To Supply $95 Million Worth of SkyStriker Loitering Munitions To An Unnamed European Country
Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense company, has signed a $95 million contract to supply SkyStriker loitering munitions to an unnamed European country. Under the contract, Elbit Systems will deliver several hundred SkyStriker loitering munitions to the European country in question, and the deliveries will be made over a 2-year period.
Making a statement on the subject, Elbit Systems General Manager Yoram Shmuely said:
“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.”
Elbit Systems’ SkyStriker is a fully autonomous loitering munition that can detect, acquire, and strike operator-designated targets with a warhead weighing up to 10 kg. The munition, which can be launched from a variety of ground and air platforms, including a special box in Elbit Systems’ PULS (Precise and Universal Launch System) rocket artillery systems, allows for covert operations at low altitudes due to its low acoustic signature with its electric propulsion system.
The loitering munition system has a range of 100 km and uses autonomous navigation for cruise and hover modes. SkyStriker’s fast flight speed allows it to cover a distance of 20 km in 10 minutes. After reaching the target area, the loitering munition system can hover and track the target for up to 2 hours with a 5 kg warhead or up to 1 hour with a 10 kg warhead. The munitions system navigates based on its electro-optic “lock” on the target as it prepares to launch an attack. Capable of hitting targets precisely with its “man-in-the-loop” operating principle, even in environments where GPS and communications are blocked, the loitering munition system can dive at extremely high speeds of up to 300 knots and can withstand winds of up to 40 knots with only a slight decrease in performance accuracy.