stealth combat drones
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has formally launched an ambitious programme to designand manufacture long-range stealth combat unmanned aerial vehicles entirelywithin the country, with help of Turkey marking a significant leap in itsdefence industrial capabilities and strategic autonomy.
Officials confirmed that the new unmanned combat aerial vehicle,tentatively designated UCAV-2047, will incorporate low-observable airframedesign, extended operational radius exceeding 2,000 kilometres, andintegrated precision strike capabilities.
Senior engineers from the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the NationalEngineering and Scientific Commission revealed that the platform willfeature composite materials developed locally, advanced fly-by-wiresystems, and indigenous satellite communication links resistant toelectronic jamming. The stealth characteristics are being achieved througha combination of radar-absorbent coatings produced at the recently expandedKamra Aviation City facility and a distinctive flying-wing configuration.
Military analysts describe the development as a direct response to evolvingregional security dynamics and the growing global reliance on unmannedsystems in modern warfare. The programme builds upon Pakistan’s existingexperience with medium-altitude long-endurance drones and shorter-rangetactical unmanned platforms that have been operational with all threeservices for over a decade.
The Defence Production Ministry has established a dedicated consortiumcomprising public-sector entities and select private industry partners toaccelerate the timeline. Initial prototype flight testing is scheduledwithin thirty-six months, with serial production targeted for the end ofthe decade. Funding will be drawn from both the national defence budget andexport earnings from existing aerospace programmes.
Idigenous stealth UCAV would provide Pakistan with credible second-strikeoptions and enhanced deterrence across multiple domains. He added that theplatform would eventually be equipped with domestically developedbeyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and stand-off precision munitionscurrently under parallel development.
Read Top Stories
The development comes amid increasing international restrictions ontransfer of sensitive unmanned combat technologies and reflects Pakistan’sbroader policy of reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for criticaldefence systems. Officials declined to comment on specific performanceparameters but confirmed the platform would possess both intelligence,surveillance, reconnaissance and deep-strike roles.
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1876543
Source: https://www.ispr.gov.pk/press-release-detail.php?id=6789
Tags: Pakistan, Stealth, Drones, PAC, NESCOM, Defence
ogimageimage-name
