26/11/2013 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

Pakistan is now equipped with two new unmanned aerial vehicle designs - a "very effective force multiplier", according to military officials.

Developed in Pakistan, the Burraq and Shahpar are both surveillance UAVs and, said General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, they'll give the Pakistan Army and Air Force a new level of "target acquisition capabilities", delivered "in real-time."

Both new Pakistan UAVs were inducted during a ceremony, attended by officials, engineers and scientists. Each was conceived and produced after the US refused to export its own advanced UAVs, such as the Predator.

Burraq UAV

First flown in 2009, the Burraq UAV was co-developed by the Pakistan Air Force and the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM). It takes its name from Al-Buraq, the winged horse from heaven on which Islamic prophets travelled.

Strictly speaking, the Burraq is a UCAV (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle), since - according to reports - it can be armed with laser-guided air-to-surface missiles, according to specific mission requirements. Military analysts have likened the Burraq to the Rainbow CH-3 UCAV, made in China, although very little is known about it beyond that comparison.

Shahpar UAV

The Shahpar UAV is the brainchild of Pakistan's Global Industrial Defence Solutions. Powered by a single Rotax 912 engine, producing 100 horsepower, it cruises at 93 miles per hour at altitudes of around 17,000 feet. To date, ten examples have been built, each one capable of autonomous launches and recoveries, either end of unmanned operations lasting more than seven hours at a time, during which data can be transmitted across a 250 kilometre range.

"It is a landmark and historic event, wherein a very effective force multiplier has been added to the inventory of the armed forces", said the Pakistan military's press office, ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) in a statement on the UAVs' inauguration.

Beyond military operations, the Burraq and Shahpar "...could also be gainfully employed in various socio-economic development projects", ISPR added.

Dec.04, 2011 techlahore.com

Since the war on terror started in Afghanistan back in 2001, the United States Air Force has employed various different UAV platforms to target insurgents and the Taliban. Both on Afghan soil as well as in Pakistani territory, with the covert approval of the Pakistan government. Observing the efficacy of UAV platforms like the Predator, the Pakistani military establishment requested the United States to equip it with UAVs so that the war on terror could be prosecuted with more efficacy on the part of the Pakistani military. However these requests were denied repeatedly and America cited the potential use of these UAV platforms in military theaters outside the Afghan Pakistan border (i.e. India) as a flimsy excuse. Faced with these denials, but unwavering in its resolve to achieve its objectives, Pakistan undertook a domestic UAV development program. Even prior to Predator requisition requests being turned down, the Pakistani military had already invested in various autonomous target drones, built both by the private and public sectors. Here at TechLahore, we covered Pakistani drone developments a couple of years ago. In fact, we pointed out that the level of sophistication was such that – in a rather ironic twist -private Pakistani drone  manufacturers were exporting UAVs even to the United States homeland security department for oversight applications on the US-Mexico border.

Since then, much has happened. Pakistan entered into a deal with the Italian firm, Selex-Galileo, for the licensed production of fairly capable UAV aircraft at the Kamra Aeronautical facilities. In addition, the Pakistan Navy also acquired rotorcraft drones from foreign sources. Separately, the Pakistan Army has pursued partnerships with China and has incented local manufacturers to continue to develop more advanced platforms within the country. One of the more promising UCAV projects currently in progress in Pakistan is the Burraq armed drone. Burraq is envisioned as a high endurance, long-range, over the horizon, armed UAV aircraft. For the last four years it has been under development and rumors are now surfacing that it may be ready for deployment. At the recent Zhuhai airshow in China, in which the Pakistan Air Force participated with its JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, Chinese manufacturers also displayed miniaturized lightweight missiles that were particularly suited for carriage on a drone. Various parts of this sprawling Pakistani drone development program are coming together, in partnership with China – weapons development, control systems development, propulsion, airframe, ground stations and much else. The Burraq will only the first in a line of capable, armed Pakistani drones.

And soon. The Burraq, it seems, will be flying in early 2012.

The Pakistani UAV program is a wonderful example of the breadth of technological capability that exists in the country, its ability to collaborate internationally without relying on problem-ridden dealings with America, and the benefits of investing in local development and local manufacturing as opposed to wiring a ton of money to a foreign country and importing somebody else’s equipment (Saudi Arabia style). As with the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, Pakistan will discover that the flexibility of owning and running a domestically developed military platform allows unending customization, full control of capabilities, and absolutely no worries with regards to security or someone else knowing its true performance, or even inhibiting the capabilities by doctoring the IFF system or other internal electronics. Not only that, but for private technological firms based in Pakistan a program of this nature creates tremendous economic opportunity. A variety of different inputs, ranging from materials to software to optics to electronics and propulsion technologies are required to build a high-tech UAV. A sophisticated military program such as the Burraq will lead not only to an improvement in Pakistan’s defensive and offensive military capabilities, but also in significant benefits for the economy and local industry.

We hope that in future, with military programs such as Burraq, the continued development of the spectacularly successful JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft and its various space technology ventures, Pakistan will continue to create domestic research and development capabilities which will ensure a brighter future for its people and a credible defense against any would-be aggressor.