The Datalink That Changed the Mission
From lab bench to battlefield, STARLITE-X became a key pillar of Elbit Systems' UAV operations. Getting there meant challenging assumptions – and proving its resilience in the chaos of real combat.
Not every engineer gets to see his early idea grows from a sketch on a whiteboard to a combat-tested system flying missions around the world.
For Yariv, Director of Marketing and Business Development for Datalink Systems at Elbit Systems’ C4I and Cyber Division, the STARLITE-X project has been just that: a front-row seat to how innovation, persistence, and deep technical work can innovate modern military communications.
A New Kind of Core
The turning point came a decade ago. Yariv was leading a small innovation group within Elbit’s C4I and Cyber Division, tasked with developing the next-generation communications backbone for unmanned aerial vehicles. The goal was clear: build a modular, scalable, high-performance Radio Frequency (RF) link that could operate reliably across different environments and platforms.
“We built a prototype called the ATM,” he recalls – “a compact 8-by-12 centimeter module with advanced RFIC and SOC technology.” Within six months, the team had a working version. Within ten months, it had evolved into STARLITE-X, a fully operational airborne datalink system, first deployed on Elbit’s Hermes 900 UAV.
What followed was an unusually fast product evolution by defense industry standards. Now in its fourth generation, STARLITE-X serves as the communications backbone for a growing number of airborne, ground, and naval platforms.
Built for Harsh Environments
STARLITE-X wasn’t just another communications system. It was engineered from the ground up to deliver operational resilience in complex, contested environments – featuring wide-band frequency hopping, low latency, high data rate, robust encryption, and support for multiple simultaneous channels.
Its capabilities span three primary configurations – Short Range (SR), Medium Range (MR), and Extended Range (ER) – and include the advanced ground Dual axis tracking system for long range communication and advance Multi-Beam Antenna (MBA) system. The MBA setup enables multiple UAVs to operate simultaneously while maintaining high-performance connectivity, even in demanding conditions.
According to Yariv, one of the system’s key breakthroughs is its ability to support both airborne and ground nodes across a three-dimensional communications vector: “We’ve deployed it in helicopters, manned ISR aircraft, combat jets on training missions, and across naval systems. It ensures seamless, resilient, encrypted video and data – regardless of the platform.”
Downscaling Without Compromise
The team didn’t stop there. Over the past year, they introduced MicroLITE – a new addition to the STARLITE family, optimized for small drones. “We managed to shrink the airborne unit down to just 100 grams,” Yariv says. “The ground unit is a lightweight, handheld system with battery support, yet it delivers the same high-level performance and resilience as our larger systems.”
That level of miniaturization – achieved without sacrificing range or performance – is a game-changer for tactical drone operations, which play an increasingly important role in battlefield intelligence and reconnaissance.
Operational Success Around the Globe
Today, STARLITE systems support a broad and expanding range of operations around the world. They’ve been integrated into mission aircraft in South America, training aircraft in the United States, and UAV platforms in dozens of countries across multiple continents. Live demonstrations are currently underway in European countries, South Asia and East Asia.
Yariv takes pride in what his team has built – but he also remembers the road it took to get there. “There were challenges,” he recalls. “There was skepticism at first. We had to prove that it would work, that it could meet the demands of the battlefield.”
Now, years later, there’s little doubt: STARLITE-X has become a trusted cornerstone of mission-critical communications. Its journey – from a compact lab prototype to a global operational standard – offers a rare glimpse into how deep technical innovation, paired with persistence, can evolve what’s possible in tactical connectivity.