In a new promotional video covering the newly launched National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP), the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) revealed that it was integrating numerous stand-off range (SOW) air-to-surface munitions to its newly inducted Bayraktar Akıncı and Bayraktar TB2 drones.
The Bayraktar Akıncı is a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) drone with a payload capacity of 1,500 kg, top speed of 150-195 knots (depending on engine type), and endurance of 24 hours. The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone with a payload capacity of 150 kg, top speed of 70-120 knots, and an endurance of 27 hours. By acquiring both drones, the PAF essentially gained a ‘heavyweight-lightweight’ combination between the Akıncı and TB2, respectively.
The PAF’s Bayraktar Akıncı was displayed with the ‘Indigenous Range Extension Kit’ (IREK) precision-guided bomb (PGB) kit, laser-guided bomb (LGB), and MK-83 general purpose bombs (GPB). The Bayraktar TB2, on the other hand, was displayed with the KEMANKEŞ miniature cruise missile. The KEMANKEŞ weighs 30 kg and offers a range of 200 km with a 6 kg warhead.
Separately, the PAF also showed that it also had a new variant of the KEMANKEŞ known as the KaGeM V3, a reportedly larger and longer-ranged cruise missile.
The munition inventories of both the Akıncı and TB2 indicate that the PAF could be looking to use drones as a mainstay strike asset. The PAF’s Akıncı, for example, was shown with heavier munitions, notably 500 kg-class MK-83s, be it as free-fall GPBs, long-range PGBs, or LGBs.
This could be a significant shift in weapons deployment as it can give the PAF a lower-cost and lower-risk means of carrying out precision strikes. For example, a JF-17 or F-16 would ostensibly cost more to fly than an Akıncı; thus, for counterinsurgency (COIN) operations, the PAF could opt to rely more on the Akıncı for precision-strikes than manned fast jets. In turn, the PAF can spare its F-16 and JF-17 airframes of the stress of strike missions while also making those aircraft more available for external conventional threats.
Quwa Plus
Go Beyond the Headlines on Pakistan’s Defence and Security.
Quwa Plus gives you deeper reporting, briefings, and analysis on Pakistan’s defence programs, foreign policy, national security, and regional strategy. Follow the developments that matter to professionals, analysts, and serious readers tracking Pakistan’s security landscape.
Join ($29.99/Year) Already a subscriber?Sign in
