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Indian authorities recovered the wreckage of multiple Turkish-made YIHA-III loitering munitions following a Pakistani attack on May 10.
According to Indian media, which shared video footage and photos showing the wreckage, the loitering munitions were shot down by air defenses close to the city of Amritsar in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab, some 28 kilometers away from the internationally-recognized border with Pakistan.
Nearly two dozen loitering munitions were used in the attack, which the Pakistani military said was an “eye for eye” response to earlier Indian missile strikes.
The YIHA-III was developed by Turkey’s major drone manufacturer Baykar. Pakistan has been reportedly producing the loitering munition through a joint defense initiative with the company.
The loitering munition incorporates technology from the Turkish-made OMTAS anti-tank guided missile. With an extended loitering time and a lightweight, maneuverable airframe, the drone features a rear-mounted propeller engine, fixed wings, and a stabilizing tail unit, enabling hours of airborne surveillance before engaging its target.
The YIHA-III incorporates technology from the Turkish OMTAS anti-tank guided missile. With a lightweight, maneuverable airframe, a rear-mounted propeller engine, fixed wings, and a stabilizing tail unit, the munition can reportedly loiter for hours before attacking its target.
The loitering munition is equipped with an electro-optical system and a two-way data-link, which allows the operator to identify targets and lock on them after launch.
Such systems are typically employed to take out high value targets, like radar stations and air defense systems, as a part of suppression of enemy air defenses operations.
The crisis between India and Pakistan was sparked by the April 22 terrorist attack on Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed Islamabad for. The situation escalated on May 7 following deadly Indian retaliatory strikes against Pakistan.
After exchanging strikes on May 10, the two nuclear powers announced a ceasefire agreement, reportedly with help from the United States.
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