The Drone Battlefield: SkyStriker vs SONGAR
In a high-stakes escalation between India and Pakistan, unmanned aerial systems have emerged as decisive tools of modern warfare. At the centre of the latest skirmish are two drones: India’s Israeli-designed SkyStriker and Pakistan’s Turkish-origin SONGAR. While both are deadly in their own right, the SkyStriker gives India a technological and tactical edge on the battlefield.
SkyStriker: India’s Precision Kamikaze
India deployed SkyStriker loitering munitions during Operation Sindoor on May 8, targeting terror hubs in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur and Muridke — key strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). These suicide drones, manufactured under a joint venture between Alpha Design (Bengaluru) and Israel’s Elbit Systems, are designed for precision strikes with minimal noise and maximum lethality.
Each SkyStriker carries a 5kg or 10kg warhead and can loiter silently up to 100 kilometers from launch, scanning and verifying targets before impact. Its electric propulsion system gives it a stealth advantage, making detection difficult—ideal for covert strikes.
Elbit describes the SkyStriker as flying like a drone but striking like a missile — essentially a “kamikaze” attacker. Once locked on, it sacrifices itself to destroy high-value targets with surgical precision.
SONGAR: Pakistan’s Armed Scout
In retaliation, Pakistan launched a coordinated offensive using nearly 400 drones, including SONGAR units from Turkish firm ASISGUARD. These drones are equipped with automatic machine guns and, in upgraded versions, 40mm grenade launchers. They are designed for tactical battlefield operations and close-range support.
Each SONGAR can carry 200 rounds of 5.56mm NATO-standard ammunition and operate within a 3km radius. It offers real-time video transmission and GPS-based navigation, making it suitable for surveillance and limited strikes.
However, compared to the SkyStriker, SONGAR’s combat radius, payload flexibility, and precision capabilities remain relatively limited. While useful in swarming tactics or area suppression, its utility in high-value target elimination is less refined.
The Kamikaze Connection
Both drones fit under the broader umbrella of “kamikaze drones” or “loitering munitions.” The term “kamikaze” originates from the Japanese “divine wind,” referencing a typhoon in 1281 that protected Japan from Mongol invasion. The term resurfaced during World War II, symbolizing Japanese pilots who crashed their planes into enemy ships.
Today, it refers to unmanned aerial vehicles programmed or guided to self-destruct upon hitting a designated target. These drones combine surveillance and strike capabilities into one streamlined weapon, transforming modern sensor-to-shooter timelines.
Why SkyStriker Holds the Edge?
SkyStriker embodies the next generation of unmanned warfare. Its longer range, precision-strike capability, stealthy profile, and higher payload flexibility give India a marked advantage over Pakistan’s SONGARs. Unlike conventional armed drones, loitering munitions like SkyStriker are cost-effective, disposable, and deadly accurate — ideal for tactical engagements against entrenched terror infrastructure.
As India continues modernizing its arsenal post-Balakot, the integration of indigenous manufacturing and foreign technology partnerships ensures strategic autonomy. The deployment of SkyStriker signals not only military preparedness but also India’s growing prowess in high-tech, unmanned warfare.
Conclusion
While Pakistan’s SONGAR drones add firepower to its tactical playbook, India’s SkyStriker is rewriting the rules of battlefield precision. In the evolving drone wars of South Asia, loitering munitions like SkyStriker are proving that silence and precision often strike louder than gunfire.
