Israel’s Elbit Systems, Germany’s Diehl Defence team on SkyStriker pitch for Berlin

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Elbit Systems announced on June 11 that it has formed a new strategic partnership with Diehl Defence to offer the SkyStriker loitering munition to the German Armed Forces.

The announcement, which coincided with the Berlin Air Show, is part of a broader push by Elbit and other Israeli firms to tap into increasing European defense budgets. Elbit said that the deal will include local manufacturing and assembly of the system with Diehl, to support “the development of sovereign capabilities and strengthening the German defense industry.” 

“This collaboration aims to meet Germany’s growing need for state‑of‑the‑art loitering munition systems, including by expansion of autonomous precision‑strike and reconnaissance capabilities,” an Elbit statement reads.

SkyStriker, first unveiled in 2017 at the Paris Air Show, boasts a range of over 200km, capable of carrying up to 10 kilograms of munitions, per the company. It’s an example of Israel’s major push into loitering munitions, which dates back to the 1990s but has taken on a larger emphasis following the Ukraine conflict and Israel’s own war in Gaza.

SkyStriker, which has been sold in the past to unnamed European nations, can also be used with other Elbit platforms such as the EuroPULS rocket launcher, the company noted. KNDS and Elbit signed a teaming agreement for EuroPULS in 2023 as Elbit saw a growing demand for precision artillery in Europe. Elbit said in 2025 that it had been awarded a contract to supply the PULS system to German’s armed forces.

“By combining Diehl’s deep experience in system integration and production with Elbit’s advanced loitering munition technology, we aim to provide a powerful and future‑ready solution for the German Armed Forces,” Elbit’s President and CEO Bezhalel Machlis, said in a statement distributed by the company, while describing the partnership as “strategic.”

“Diehl Defence is proud to partner with Elbit systems in the field of loitering munition to strengthen Germany’s capabilities in this segment,” Diehl Defence CEO Helmut Rauch said in a statement. “This cooperation does not only strengthen the development of sovereign capabilities but also the German defence industry.”