Drones: Made in Pakistan
Looking at the facility from outside, no one would guess what goes on within the 90,000-square-foot research facility of Integrated Dynamics (ID), a privately owned company in
Even more startling is the ease with which R.S. Khan, IDs chief executive, states that 'drone technology has existed in
Khan, who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a masters degree in aeronautics and astronautics, is quick to clarify that his company has 'never been asked to develop a drone which has an armed implication.' Instead, ID develops advanced Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV) systems capable of reconnaissance missions as well as target decoys for anti-aircraft missiles. His customers, he says, include the armed forces of the country as well as foreign buyers from the US, Australia, Spain, Italy and France.
Although he may not have been asked to develop an armed drone, Khan, who previously worked as a consultant for Pakistan's aerospace agency Suparco, points out 'If we consider the fact that drone development has been taking place in Pakistan for the last 20 years, I think the technology for flying long-range autonomous missions has existed for at least 10-12 years.'
Given Khans estimations about local drone development, it is unclear why
Drone terminology |
Model aircraft Typically a remote-controlled unmanned plane that flies within the visual range of an operator. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle A remote-controlled unmanned plane that can fly beyond the visual range of an operator. It is usually fitted with remote sensors and/or cameras. Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle An advanced form of unmanned aerial vehicles, it may have a range of hundreds of kilometres and an endurance of months. Moreover, the mission can be pre-programmed in such systems and can be completed with or without the assistance of an operator. Some advanced versions also use artificial intelligence. Drone In |
'If you ask anyone in Pakistan involved in the business of making unmanned UAVs whether something similar to the Predator drone aircraft can be made, the answer would be yes, explains Khan. I won't say we can make it overnight or by tomorrow. But I won't say either that it is a matter of decades. I would say that, if given the task, we can make such aircrafts in a few years. As a technologist, Khan is hesitant to speculate as to why the
UAVs in
Interestingly, there are several public sector companies involved in developing UAVs in
The PACs Uqaab drone is in use by the Pakistan Army, and, according to unconfirmed reports, is being upgraded with Chinese help to carry a weapons payload. Other PAC UAVs include the Bazz and Ababeel. AWCs Bravo+ UAV is in use of the Pakistan Airforce (PAF). The PAF recently acquired an unarmed Italian drone called the Falco UAV, which is reportedly being used for surveillance and battleground assessments in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In 2008, the Pakistan Navy also reportedly completed trials of UAVs - the Austrian Schiebel Camcopter S-100 and Swedish Cybaero - from a Pakistani frigate in the
Private sector companies are also involved in the design and development of UAVs. Apart from ID in
The EWIs Heliquad UAV is considered a stealth design because of its small size and Whisper Watch signals intelligence package, which is capable of picking up radio and other communication signals. IDs Nishan Mk1 and TJ1000, Vision MK1 & MK2, Tornado, Border Eagle, Hornet, Hawk and Vector are also popular models employed by the armed forces for reconnaissance missions and target practice (each model varies in range and endurance). Satumas UAVs, with similar functionalities, are called Flamingo, Jasoos and Mukhbar. For its part, the GIDS develops the Huma-1 UAV and its own version of the Uqaab.
Even though almost all UAVs in the country have been built for military applications - reconnaissance, simulations, decoy systems, remote sensing - none of them are reported to be capable of firing arms. Moreover, none of the above-mentioned facilities are involved in large-scale, mass production of UAVs.
Policy on drones
It is still not clear what
Previously, former president Pervez Musharraf had reportedly authorized Washington to launch Predator drones from secret bases near
IDs Khan explains that shooting down drones to prevent attacks is a viable option. 'From a technical standpoint, all it takes is a simple air-to-air or surface-to-air missile to bring the drone down. Almost all of these aircrafts have a very low radar signature. But they're not undetectable. They can be detected, he says. The question really is whether one wants to bring one down or not.
Drones vs. casualties
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'The question really is whether one wants to bring one down or not.' |
According to news reports,
The way forward
Apart from their use in a military context, there is a need to deploy UAVs for the benefit of Pakistani communities. UAVs abroad are being used for a variety of civilian services, including search and rescue operations, environmental analysis, assisting local law enforcers, scientific research and even transport. Situational awareness about a potentially hazardous or calamity-hit areas, for example, in the aftermath of an earthquake, could also be gained through the use of such systems.
The responsibility of implementing this vision rests not only with the companies that develop UAVs, but also with government bodies that should utilise drones to improve their image and efficiency. After all, drones are not exclusively killing machines.