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Air · Reconnaissance aircraft

Skylark 3 (original electric)

Original Skylark 3 tactical reconnaissance aircraft, kept separate from the later Hybrid model.

Role & capabilities

  • Reconnaissance
Supplier-reported statusSupplier-reported status
Primary domain
Air
System type
Reconnaissance aircraft
Developer / manufacturer
Elbit Systems
Origin / production countries
Israel
Other names
No additional names recorded
Variants / configurations
Original Skylark 3; Skylark 3 Hybrid separate
Operators / programme customers
Not identified in reviewed sources

Evidence & current status

Supplier information is attributed; performance and operational acceptance require configuration-specific evidence.

The original Skylark 3 is Elbit’s tactical reconnaissance aircraft for portable or vehicle-supported operation. Its product page describes automated flight and a stabilised electro-optical/infrared payload. The 2023 manufacturer exhibition material gives a six-hour duration and a hundred-kilometre operating range.

Those values belong to the original model. The later Skylark 3 Hybrid has a different propulsion arrangement and its own profile. Copying the Hybrid’s longer duration into this entry would obscure a meaningful configuration difference, even when external dimensions look similar.

The manufacturer draws on the wider Skylark family’s operational history. That is relevant lineage but not a complete Skylark 3 customer inventory. This profile records the supported original baseline and leaves dimensions, loading details and individual operator fits open where the reviewed primary pages do not establish them. Later upgrades should be linked to their own specification revision.

Sourced specifications

Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.

SpecificationReported valueContext & source
AirframeFixed wingOriginal Skylark 3. Source ↗
Launch / recoveryNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
PropulsionNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
DimensionsNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
MassNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
EnduranceUp to 6 hoursDSEI 2023 baseline; not Hybrid. Source ↗
Range100 km stated operating rangeRange definition not further specified. Source ↗
SpeedNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
AltitudeNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
PayloadNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗
SensorsStabilised EO/IRCurrent original-model product page. Source ↗
Communications / navigationNot established in the reviewed public sources.Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗

Publication history

  • — Added in the September 2026 global coverage review, with sources, configuration limits and explicit data gaps.

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Follow the evidence

Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.

  1. Elbit original Skylark 3 product page (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer
  2. Elbit DSEI 2023 product descriptions (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer

Explore the connections

Air · Coverage auditMiddle East

Middle East defence drone coverage audit

6 original research topics reviewed: 0 resolved, 6 partially resolved and 0 still open. The remaining register identifies specific evidence needs.

Reviewed 21 Sept 2026Read
CompanyIsrael

Elbit Systems

Coverage focus: Hermes 900. A medium-altitude reconnaissance family with land and maritime configurations. Maritime versions combine radar, imaging and mission data for coastal and offshore awareness.

Reviewed 20 Sept 2026Read