Pakistan’s Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Ecosystem

During the India-Pakistan clashes in May, both militaries employed a wide variety of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and uncrewed combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)– both often colloquially referred to as ‘drones’. 

Flying craft, including UAVs and UCAVs, are categorised based on their altitude and endurance, since these are tailored to the typical mission profiles they are expected to undertake.

Altitude refers to the vertical distance of the aircraft, typically above sea level, and influences its operational environment, sensor effectiveness, and vulnerability. Endurance is the maximum time an aircraft can stay airborne on a single fuel load or charge. Endurance impacts the range for missions and the operational flexibility of the aircraft—a reduced need for frequent refuelling allows for greater flexibility.

The table below explains common classifications using altitude and endurance. These are the most widely used based on the kinds of aircraft that are used most often today. Other possible combinations of altitude and endurance do exist, such as MAME UAVs (medium altitude-medium endurance).

Most of Pakistan's UAVs and UCAVs can be classified as MALE or HALE aircraft. This makes them capable of reconnaissance over long distances, air strikes, and loitering for significant periods of time. Gone are the days when fighter aircraft characterised aerial combat. Today, loitering munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles play a significant role in conducting ISR as well as performing air strikes.

 A look at the kinds of uncrewed aircraft owned and operated by Pakistan reveals a focus on diversifying its sources of foreign procurement while also focusing on joint ventures and indigenous production. China and Turkey emerge as two of the biggest suppliers. Chinese platforms like the Wing Loong series and CH-4 allow for ISR and strike missions, while the purchase of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and models like the Asisgard Songar show a shift towards diversification even in terms of high-performance combat drones. 

A significant number of the uncrewed platforms owned by Pakistan are also armed, suggesting a shift towards uncrewed platforms even for aerial strikes and combat.

On the domestic front, Pakistan has begun manufacturing several uncrewed aircraft in-house. While Pakistan’s imports are by and large aircraft with high endurance and significant payload capabilities, its domestic production seems primarily focused on tactical UAVs. These two prongs of its unmanned aircraft ecosystem highlight what appears to be strategy focused at developing a fleet that is both robust and versatile, tailored towards meeting various kinds of operational requirements.

In recent tensions with India, Pakistan utilised both the Turkish Asisgard Songar UCAVs as well as the domestically produced GIDS Shahpar UAVs extensively. India relied heavily on the Israeli Heron as well as the Harpy and Harop loitering munitions. Since then the Indian government has made a deal with the United States to acquire 31 MQ-9B Predators, which are high-performance in terms of both their endurance and their altitude ceiling, showing a marked shift in favour of high-performance drones. 

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