Israeli Artillery Corps to Receive Upgraded Skylark Drones from Elbit

Elbit Systems will supply the Skylark 1 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) drone to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

The IDF Artillery Corps will receive the small tactical unmanned aerial system (STUAS), replacing the aging hand-launched Skylark 1.

The Corps primarily uses the Skylark to provide video feeds to soldiers on the ground.

Upgraded Features

The new drone features greater endurance and over twice the range at 40 kilometers (25 miles).

The 20-kilogram (44-pound) system can fly up to 65 knots (120 kilometers/ 74 miles per hour), with a service ceiling of 15,000 feet (4,500 meters).

It can be operated from the ground, a vehicle, be man-packed, or from a ship.

Expected Roles

“Combined with onboard analytical capabilities, the Skylark 1 eVTOL significantly expands the operations of tactical forces and enables fast deployment in order to organically perform intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions,” Elbit explained.

Expected missions include, “beyond the hill intelligence, target acquisition, force and convoy protection, border patrol, security operations, search & rescue missions, environmental monitoring, and counter-terrorism.”