ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy has quietly achieved a major breakthrough inunmanned aerial systems, commissioning an advanced fleet of long-rangecombat drones, loitering munitions and high-speed quadcopter swarms thatdefence analysts say now pose a credible offensive threat to Indian navalassets across the Arabian Sea.
Senior naval officials confirmed that the newly-inducted Shahpar-II BlockII drones, armed with air-to-surface missiles, have been integrated withTurkish-origin Bayraktar TB2 and locally developed tactical quadcopterunits capable of coordinated saturation attacks on enemy warships.
The quadcopter swarms, developed under Project Azm by the NationalDevelopment Complex, can carry explosive payloads and operate in GPS-deniedenvironments, making them particularly dangerous against Indian carrierbattle groups operating far from shore-based air cover.
Military sources revealed that the navy has established a dedicated dronebases at Ormara and Gwadar, equipped with satellite control stations thatallow beyond-line-of-sight operations extending up to 2,000 kilometres intothe Indian Ocean.
Recent exercises witnessed the successful test of a mixed drone fleetcomprising fixed-wing UAVs providing real-time targeting data to quadcopterswarms that executed simulated attacks on moving naval targets withpinpoint accuracy.
Defence experts note that this layered unmanned capability significantlyalters the maritime balance, enabling Pakistan to threaten Indian navaldeployments without risking manned aircraft or surface vessels in contestedwaters.
The navy has also initiated Project Hangor for submarine-launched verticaltakeoff drones, with initial trials scheduled for 2027, further extendingunderwater platforms’ surveillance and strike reach.
Analysts believe these developments come as a direct response to India’sacquisition of American Predator drones and its expanding blue-waterambitions through new aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines.
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The integration of artificial intelligence in swarm coordination allowsdozens of quadcopters to autonomously identify, track and overwhelm airdefence systems through sheer numbers and unpredictable manoeuvres.
Pakistan has simultaneously accelerated production of the dual-role Anka-Sdrones under licence from Turkey, with local assembly already underway atthe Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra.
These advancements mark the first time a South Asian navy possesses organicover-the-horizon targeting and strike capability entirely through unmannedsystems, dramatically enhancing deterrence against larger conventionalforces.
The naval chief, during a recent address at the National DefenceUniversity, emphasised that these indigenous capabilities ensure credibleminimum deterrence at sea while maintaining strategic stability in theregion.
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