Pakistan -- Drone / UAS Inventory
Last Updated: 2026-03-29 | Next Review Due: 2026-04-29
Last updated: 2026-03-28
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED // OSINT
Source ratings per: SOURCE_RATING.md
Overview
Pakistan operates a growing drone fleet combining Chinese-origin armed UCAVs, domestically developed tactical ISR platforms (with significant Chinese technical assistance), and Turkish imports. Pakistan has employed drones extensively in counter-terrorism operations in FATA/KPK and Balochistan. The Burraq UCAV marked Pakistan's first confirmed armed drone strike (2015).
Indigenous / Domestically Assembled Systems
Burraq UCAV
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Designation | Burraq |
| Type | Armed UCAV |
| Manufacturer | NESCOM (National Engineering and Scientific Commission) with significant Chinese technical assistance (widely assessed as CH-3 derivative) |
| Origin | Pakistan / China |
| Wingspan | ~8.0 m (estimated) |
| MTOW | ~500 kg (estimated) |
| Endurance | ~10-12 hours |
| Ceiling | ~18,000 ft |
| Payload | EO/IR targeting system |
| Armament | Barq laser-guided missile (comparable to AR-1 / HJ-10 family) |
| Status | In service with Pakistan Air Force |
| Combat use | First armed strike in Shawal Valley, North Waziristan (September 2015); subsequent COIN strikes in FATA |
| Export | Myanmar (reported, unconfirmed) |
| EOD relevance | High -- Barq missile is a laser-guided anti-armor/anti-personnel weapon; impact/proximity fuzing; unexpended missiles on crash sites; warhead similar to Chinese AR-1 (semi-active laser homing, ~10 kg HE-FRAG) |
| Sources | Pakistan ISPR press releases (A-2), Jane's (B-2), Chinese defense publications (C-3) |
Shahpar-1
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Designation | Shahpar-1 |
| Type | Tactical ISR UAV |
| Manufacturer | GIDS (Global Industrial & Defence Solutions) |
| Origin | Pakistan |
| Wingspan | ~6.0 m |
| MTOW | ~460 kg |
| Endurance | ~7 hours |
| Ceiling | ~15,000 ft |
| Payload | EO/IR, laser designator |
| Armament | None |
| Status | In service with Pakistan Army |
| Combat use | ISR operations in FATA, Balochistan |
| EOD relevance | Low -- unarmed ISR platform |
| Sources | GIDS official (A-2), Jane's (B-2) |
Shahpar-2
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Designation | Shahpar-2 |
| Type | MALE UAV (armed capable) |
| Manufacturer | GIDS |
| Origin | Pakistan |
| Wingspan | ~10.0 m (estimated) |
| MTOW | ~500+ kg (estimated) |
| Endurance | ~12+ hours |
| Ceiling | ~20,000 ft |
| Payload | EO/IR, SAR, possible weapons hardpoints |
| Armament | Reported provision for weapons integration |
| Status | Unveiled 2018; limited production/service entry reported |
| Combat use | Not confirmed |
| EOD relevance | Moderate -- if armed variant deployed, ordnance similar to Burraq |
| Sources | IDEAS defense expo coverage (C-3), Pakistan defense media (D-3) |
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Designation | Uqab |
| Type | Tactical mini-UAV |
| Manufacturer | NESCOM |
| Origin | Pakistan |
| Wingspan | ~3.6 m |
| MTOW | ~100 kg |
| Endurance | ~5-6 hours |
| Ceiling | ~12,000 ft |
| Launch | Catapult / rail launch |
| Recovery | Parachute or belly landing |
| Payload | Day/night EO camera |
| Armament | None |
| Status | In service with Pakistan Army (limited numbers) |
| Combat use | Tactical ISR in tribal areas |
| EOD relevance | Low -- small unarmed platform; catapult launch charges minor concern |
| Sources | Pakistan defense exhibitions (C-3), Jane's (B-3) |
Indigenous FPV / Loitering Programs
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Programs | Pakistan developing indigenous FPV strike drones and loitering munitions post-2022, accelerated by Ukraine conflict lessons |
| Key entities | NESCOM, GIDS, AWC (Air Weapons Complex), private startups |
| Status | Early development/evaluation; some FPV prototypes displayed at IDEAS 2024 |
| EOD relevance | High -- emerging threat; commercial-component drones with improvised or purpose-built warheads; identification challenging |
| Sources | Pakistan defense media (D-3), social media OSINT (D-4) |
Imported Systems
Bayraktar TB2
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Designation | Bayraktar TB2 |
| Type | Tactical armed UCAV |
| Manufacturer | Baykar Defense |
| Origin | Turkey |
| Wingspan | 12.0 m |
| MTOW | 700 kg |
| Endurance | ~27 hours |
| Ceiling | ~25,000 ft |
| Speed | ~220 km/h |
| Payload | EO/IR/laser designator; 4 hardpoints |
| Armament | MAM-L (laser-guided, ~22 kg, HE/thermobaric), MAM-C (laser-guided, ~6.5 kg), Roketsan UMTAS possible |
| Pakistan acquisition | Ordered from 2021; deliveries confirmed; PAF and Pakistan Navy |
| Combat use | TB2 combat-proven globally (Libya, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine); Pakistan use in COIN operations reported |
| EOD relevance | Very High -- MAM-L warhead (~7 kg HE or thermobaric fill); impact fuzing; compact munitions may be found as UXO; TB2 crash debris may contain live munitions on pylons |
| Sources | SIPRI (B-1), Baykar official (A-2), Turkish defense media (C-1), Pakistan ISPR (A-2) |
CAIG/CASC CH-4 Rainbow
| Field | Detail |
|---|
| Designation | CH-4B |
| Type | MALE armed UCAV |
| Manufacturer | CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation) / CAIG |
| Origin | China |
| Wingspan | ~18 m |
| MTOW | ~1,330 kg |
| Endurance | ~30-40 hours (ISR config) |
| Ceiling | ~26,000 ft |
| Speed | ~235 km/h |
| Payload | EO/IR, SAR; 4 hardpoints; ~345 kg weapons load |
| Armament | AR-1 laser-guided missile (~45 kg, ~10 kg HE warhead), FT-9 GPS/INS guided bombs (~50 kg), AR-2 (lightweight) |
| Pakistan acquisition | Imported from China; numbers undisclosed but believed 6-12 |
| Combat use | CH-4 combat use confirmed by Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt; Pakistan use unconfirmed in open source |
| EOD relevance | Very High -- AR-1 missiles have semi-active laser homing, impact fuzing, HE-FRAG warhead; FT-9 bombs use GPS/INS with impact fuzing; crash site may have multiple live munitions |
| Sources | SIPRI (B-2), Chinese state media (C-3), Jane's (B-2), satellite imagery OSINT (D-2) |
EOD-Specific Threat Summary
| Priority | System | Key hazard |
|---|
| Critical | TB2 + MAM-L/MAM-C | Compact laser-guided munitions, thermobaric option |
| Critical | CH-4B + AR-1/FT-9 | Multiple munition types, impact fuzing |
| High | Burraq + Barq missile | Laser-guided, HE-FRAG warhead |
| Moderate | FPV/loitering prototypes | Emerging, poorly documented, improvised warheads |
| Low | Shahpar-1/2, Uqab | Unarmed ISR platforms |
Sources Summary
| Source | Rating | Notes |
|---|
| Pakistan ISPR / MoD official statements | A-2 | Official but selectively disclosed |
| SIPRI Arms Transfer Database | B-1 | Confirmed transfers |
| Jane's | B-2 | Specifications sometimes estimated for Pakistani systems |
| Baykar official data | A-2 | Accurate for TB2 specs |
| Chinese defense publications | C-3 | CH-4 specs reliable; transfer details opaque |
| Pakistan defense blogs / social media | D-3 | Useful for tracking but speculative on numbers |
| IDEAS defense exhibition coverage | C-3 | Official display data |