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Unpacking Pakistan Air Force High-Energy Laser (HEL) Requirements: Scale, Power Class, and Likely Suppliers

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Just as loitering munitions, swarming drones, and other unmanned aerial systems (UAS) advance in capabilities and proliferate to adversaries on both the eastern and western fronts, the Pakistani armed forces are, correspondingly, investing more in counter-UAS (C-UAS) solutions.

Thus far, Pakistan’s C-UAS efforts have materialized in different forms, with induction being led through electronic warfare (EW)-based solutions aimed at interfering with the drones’ communications, either to satellite-based guidance/location systems or to remote operators.

In tandem, Pakistan’s hard-kill element has largely trended towards anti-air guns (AAG), with, potentially, interceptor drones also being added to reinforce the hard-kill element.

So, as it stands today, Pakistan’s C-UAS strategy leverages EW for initial denial coverage, especially at scale against salvos, with AAG being the mainstay hard-kill layer.

However, since 2024, there has also been an effort to leverage directed energy weapons (DEW) as well.

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Bilal Khan

Bilal Khan

Founder of Quwa, Bilal has been researching Pakistani defence industry and security issues for over 15 years. His work has been cited by Pakistan's National Defence University (NDU), the Council of Foreign Relations, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Centre of Airpower Studies and many others. He has a Hons. B.A in Political Science and Masters of Interntional Public Policy from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

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