Project Azm: The expansion of Pakistan’s drone program Plus

Pakistan is expanding its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fleet through the procurement of new medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drones, most notably with Project Azm (resolve), under which a MALE UAV is being developed along with a fifth-generation fighter (FGF) for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Along with Project Azm, the PAF has also been testing – since at least 2016 – a Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) Wing Loong. On January 05 the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College identified a Wing Loong at PAF Base M.M. Alam in Mianwali in November 2017.[1] In December 2017, Dawn News reported that the Project Azm MALE UAV will enter production in 18 months.[2]

In general, UAVs allow militaries to undertake long-duration intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations and airstrikes without needing to commit costlier manned assets. UAV usage can reduce operational costs while also negating the risk of losing personnel and/or expensive manned systems. UAVs have been a staple in the U.S.’ counterinsurgency (COIN) operations, notably in Iraq and Afghanistan. Due to China’s mastery of and willingness to sell MALE UAV technology, the means to emulate the U.S. in this regard has spread into the hands of other states, especially in the Middle East.

Through Project Azm – and (if unrelated to Project Azm) potentially through the Wing Loong – Pakistan is working to expand its use of drones in order to better fulfil its national security requirements. This article outlines the improvements MALE UAVs offer over Pakistan’s current UAV inventory along with an analysis of how Pakistan can leverage potential long-term areas of development, such as geostationary Earth orbit communications satellites, to maximize its UAV usage. The article concludes with an overview of potential opportunities for domestic and overseas industry firms interested in engaging Pakistan’s drone program.

Overall, the availability of a MALE UAV will (in part) enable Pakistan to impose constant ISR coverage over key areas of national security interest, such as border management and surveying infrastructure projects. Given the high-risk security environment of Pakistan’s geo-political surroundings, the incentive to build and sustain persistent ISR is in place. If there is a genuine drive to construct a UAV manufacturing base through Project Azm, the capabilities of Pakistan’s drones – and resultant ability for a sustained ISR presence – should grow through the long-term. For Pakistan, this would amount to a major shift from its tactically-driven drone usage (e.g. supporting COIN campaigns).

Pakistan’s UAVs

Pakistan’s mainstay UAVs for ISR comprise of the Leonardo Falco and the domestically sourced Shahpar, which is produced by Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS). The Falco and Shahpar have maximum take-off weights (MTOW) of 490 kg and 480 kg, respectively, along with payload capacities of 70 kg and 50 kg, respectively.[3]^,[4] Neither the Falco or Shahpar were meant to deploy live ordnance. Instead, Pakistan has been using these drones for ISR. For example, the PAF has been using the Falco for ISR as part of its COIN operations in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Deployed in that theatre in 2010 or 2011, the PAF had relied on the Falco for ground-surveillance, leveraging the drone’s ability to take-off and land from unprepared airfields and 8 to 14-hour flight endurance.[5] Interestingly, the PAF reportedly has had mixed results using the Falco, with some of the Falco drones crashing due to failures in the data-link control/connection.[6] The PAF reportedly opted to use its own ground control station (GCS) to operate the Falco instead of procuring Leonardo’s GCS for the Falco.[7] While evidently problematic for controlling the Falco, this information could indicate that Pakistan has data-link programs other than the tactical data-link (TDL) work for the JF-17 and Mirage III/5 (i.e. Link-17) The experience of using it with the Falco – with the occasional failure – can inform development of an improved version for use on a MALE UAV.