Pak army moving closer to inducting predator drones'

[HAIDER]

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan army is moving closer to inducting Predator drones with the manufacturers of the unmanned aerial vehicles getting approval for selling them to countries other than the US and its close allies, a media report claimed on Monday.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GAAS), the US-based company that makes the Predators, told the Express Tribune that it has approval to sell an "export-approved version" of the UAV that it plans to sell for the first time to countries outside the US, Nato members, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

GAAS spokesperson Kimberly A Kasitz said the company has applied for a licence with the US state department to begin negotiations for such a sale with Pakistan too.

Local drone manufacturers in Pakistan, who wished to stay anonymous, told the newspaper that the development was significant.

It is only a matter of time before Pakistan will spend millions of dollars on the product, claimed an insider. However, another industry insider from Islamabad said, GAAS was pursuing this with the US government for more than a year now and seems like they may have got the nod.

Read more: 'Pak army moving closer to inducting predator drones' - Pakistan - World - The Times of India 'Pak army moving closer to inducting predator drones' - Pakistan - World - The Times of India

'Pak army moving closer to inducting predator drones' - Pakistan - World - The Times of India


How other Indian paper perceive this sale.

The Pakistan army is moving closer to inducting predator drones with the manufacturers of the unmanned aerial vehicles getting approval for selling them to countries other than the US and its close allies, a media report claimed today.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the US-based company that makes the predators, told The Express Tribune that it has the approval to sell an export-approved version of the UAV that it plans to sell for the first time to countries outside the US, NATO members, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Earlier, GAAS president Frank Pace was quoted as saying during the recent Farnborough Air Show that his firm sees the "potential for sales of as many as 100 units in the Middle East and Pakistan of the so-called predator XP model approved for export".

Asked to elaborate on the statement, GAAS spokesperson Kimberly A Kasitz said, "It is true that various Middle Eastern countries have expressed interest in an export-approved version of Predator A and that we have received licences to begin discussions with several of these countries about a potential sale."

Kasitz said that the company has applied for a licence with the US state department to begin negotiations for such a sale with Pakistan too.

She added that this licence is still pending and the firm has "not yet received a licence" as of now.

Local drone manufacturers in Pakistan, who wished to stay anonymous, told the newspaper that the development was significant.

"The admission of seeking a licence only goes to show that our armed forces have sent their specifications to the company," said one insider who had sold his UAVs to many foreign countries, including the US.

"When one applies for a licence from the state department, it's not just a request asking for permission to talk to a certain customer. Companies only seek a licence when they get a complete list of their customer's requirements," he said.

It is only a matter of time before Pakistan will spend millions of dollars on the product, he claimed.

However, another industry insider from Islamabad said, "GAAS was pursuing this with the US government for more than a year now and seems like they may have been given the nod.

However, the first buyers are likely to be the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan's turn will come much later."

The second insider said that there are many concerns about supplying such a sophisticated product to Pakistan, including the fear that it may be used on the border with India.

"They are also worried about the possibility that cheap Chinese copycats would be made in case Beijing gained access to the product," the insider said.

He said that another drone, Boeing's Scan Eagle, was also being considered by the Pakistani military.

Experts contended that GAAS's predator A or predator XP drones were "stripped down" UAVs that are unarmed and capable of only reconnaissance missions.

They said that predators require a satellite feed to operate in order to truly utilise its capabilities.

The UAVs will operate only when they are within line of sight without a satellite feed.

Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas denied knowledge of any communication with GAAS.

He said that no official contact has been made with the company.

 

[Donatello]

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan army is moving closer to inducting Predator drones with the manufacturers of the unmanned aerial vehicles getting approval for selling them to countries other than the US and its close allies, a media report claimed on Monday.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GAAS), the US-based company that makes the Predators, told the Express Tribune that it has approval to sell an "export-approved version" of the UAV that it plans to sell for the first time to countries outside the US, Nato members, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

GAAS spokesperson Kimberly A Kasitz said the company has applied for a licence with the US state department to begin negotiations for such a sale with Pakistan too.

Local drone manufacturers in Pakistan, who wished to stay anonymous, told the newspaper that the development was significant.

It is only a matter of time before Pakistan will spend millions of dollars on the product, claimed an insider. However, another industry insider from Islamabad said, GAAS was pursuing this with the US government for more than a year now and seems like they may have got the nod.

Read more: 'Pak army moving closer to inducting predator drones' - Pakistan - World - The Times of India 'Pak army moving closer to inducting predator drones' - Pakistan - World - The Times of India

'Pak army moving closer to inducting predator drones' - Pakistan - World - The Times of India

We don't need them. We can very well make our own. Why don't they give millions of dollars in funding to engineering schools like LUMS SSE, GIKI or NUST..........we are more than capable of making armed drones.


Drones are easy to make, just large R/C planes. The main thing is the sensors and weapons, which i am sure PAF and Air Weapons Complex can help us with.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Beautiful just hope its true....Then we will be operating 2 types of UCAVS:
Burraq(indigenous)
Predator -US.
Combination will be lethal.

 

[TOPGUN]

I sure hope we do get them it would a deadly punch to the armed forces and would be really good againt terroist.

 

[razgriz19]

wats the point of bying this $***!!!
these PREDATORS WILL BE UN-ARMED

"The non-NATO Predators will differ from the full-functionality versions in several significant ways. Most importantly, they will lack the ability to carry missiles and will be crippled to perform surveillance and reconnaissance missions only"

General Atomics can export Predators: 50 for Pakistan? Military Strategy

 

[QueenOfTheOceans1]

Pak Army Paindabad

 

[Donatello]

Beautiful just hope its true....Then we will be operating 2 types of UCAVS:
Burraq(indigenous)
Predator -US.
Combination will be lethal.

We don't need drones....which can't fire missiles.


We can make our own.

What we should be looking at for army is artillery, counter-battery radars and most importantly Gunship Copters.

 

[Beskar]

Sounds like the Americans are cutting a deal with us.

Let us bombard FATA, we'll pay you with drones in return.

If that's the case then no thank you.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

The unarmed predators have been approved for sale in middle east n Pakistan.
Dont worry thanks to NESCOM we r developing our own UCAV but still even an unarmed predator will also boast our capability.

 

[True_Pakistan_Zindabad]

Did we ever induct those Shadow unarmed drones? How many unarmed drones will we need till we get the message ? They want us to make a photo album for terrorists, and not kill them.

 

[QADRI]

Beautiful just hope its true....Then we will be operating 2 types of UCAVS:
Burraq(indigenous)
Predator -US.
Combination will be lethal.

i guess you have forgotten FALCO....

 

[Donatello]

i guess you have forgotten FALCO....

I suppose FALCO is for Air-Force...

 

[QADRI]

I suppose FALCO is for Air-Force...

ya you right FALCO is for Air force, My mistake... Now overall if we will be able to get an american one then we shall operate three UCAV.. great

 

[JK!]

They would be an excellent asset for reconnaisance.

A bigger sophisticated UAV means more fuel carried for loiter time and more high tech "kit" carried for recce work.

 

[Desert Fox]

why should we take UN-ARMED predator drones for the cost of our people? Are we that selfish and greedy that we are willing to sell the blood of our countrymen for a few UN-ARMED predator drones?

BTW, these UN-ARMED predator drones which are UAV's, not UCAV's!