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NESCOM Shahpar Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
The Shahpar drone is an indigenously developed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by Pakistan, designed for reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
Developed by the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) and marketed by Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS), the Shahpar marked the start of Pakistan’s journey to develop its own intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and attack drones.
Today, the Shahpar has spawned into a family of larger medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drones, such as the Shahpar-II and Shahpar-III.
Design Background of the NESCOM Shahpar UAV
The Shahpar was developed to meet the growing need for reliable and cost-effective surveillance UAVs in the Pakistani military. Prior to the Shahpar, Pakistan had operated drones acquired from foreign suppliers, notably the West. For example, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) inducted the Falco from Leonardo (formerly Selex ES) and the Pakistan Navy (PN) acquired the Rheinmetall Luna.
From the mid-2010s, the Shahpar (alongside the Uqab, Huma, and Burraq) began providing each of the Pakistani military’s tri-services domestic UAV solutions for their respective ISR needs. While a modest start, the Shahpar (with its endurance of seven hours, payload of 50 kg, and line-of-sight data-link range of 250 km) provided a well-rounded package. It did not match the payload capacity of the British/Italian Falco nor the Chinese CH-3, but it offered much more range.
Not only did Pakistan induct the Shahpar in numbers (potentially 70 to 140 units), but the platform would form the basis of the much more advanced and capable Shahpar-II and Shahpar-III. So, in a way, the first Shahpar variant helped shape the direction of Pakistan’s indigenous UAV work.
Shahpar UAV Specifications
- Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW): 480 kg
- Length: 4.2 m
- Wingspan: 6.6 m
- Payload: 50 kg
- Endurance: Approximately 7 hours
- Range: 250 km
- Maximum Operating Altitude: 17,000 ft
- Cruise Speed: 150 km/hour
News, Updates, and Comments
GIDS has moved away from marketing the Shahpar. Instead, it now promotes the larger and more capable Shahpar-II Block-II, which promises greater range and a heavier payload capacity for use with air-to-surface munitions and special electronics equipment.
