After Arrow, Spike and Rockets, Will Germany Buy More Israeli Weapons?

Bezalel (Butzi) Machlis, president and CEO of Elbit Systems, signed yesterday, Wednesday, at the ILA exhibition in Berlin, a memorandum of understanding to produce the loitering munition Shirkriq, marketed for export as SkyStriker, with the aim of offering it to the German Army, the Bundeswehr. Under the project known as the “Long-Range Loitering Munition System,” the German army intends to acquire loitering munitions capable of successfully striking targets at ranges of 200 to 300 kilometers, in a project expected to begin in a few months.

Elbit will cooperate with the German company Diehl Defence, which already produces Spike missiles in Germany with Rafael and rockets with Elbit. According to the companies, the partnership envisions a 50:50 split in production. The two companies say serial production could begin in Germany as early as 36 months after the program is launched. As part of the division of labor between the companies, Diehl will be responsible for producing the warheads and launchers, while Elbit and its German subsidiary will produce the aerial platform, in Israel and in Germany. The first systems will be produced in Israel after the contract is signed, until the production line is established in Germany.

One of Shirkriq's major advantages is that it can be launched from the PULS rocket artillery systems that the Germans are set to buy for billions. The drone navigates autonomously to its target and can dive toward it at extremely high speeds of up to 550 km/h. The warhead weighs 5 to 10 kg. Shirkriq has already been sold to the IDF, to a European country, and according to foreign reports, also to Azerbaijan.

Bezalel (Butzi) Machlis, president and CEO of Elbit Systems, said: “The partnership with Diehl Defence, together with Elbit Germany’s strong local presence, is another significant step in strengthening our long-standing presence in Europe and supporting the modernization of Germany’s defense capabilities. By combining Diehl’s expertise in systems integration and manufacturing with Elbit’s advanced loitering munition technology, we aim to deliver a powerful, future-ready solution for the Bundeswehr.”