Pakistan Unveils Upgraded Shahpar II UCAV, Claims Outmatch TB2 and CH-4

Pakistan has unveiled a significantly upgraded version of its Shahpar Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), boasting superior capabilities and cost-effectiveness compared to the popular Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Chinese CH-4 drones.

The announcement came during a recent demonstration for military officials from 11 allied nations.

Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS), the Pakistani state-owned defence company responsible for the Shahpar II, showcased the drone's enhanced capabilities in a live-fire exercise.

The UCAV, designated as a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) platform, successfully engaged ground targets with its "Burq" air-to-ground guided missile from an altitude of 14,000 feet.

Improved Endurance and Capabilities​

The Shahpar II represents a substantial upgrade over the earlier Shahpar-I model. GIDS officials tout increased endurance, with the drone capable of 20 hours of flight time for surveillance missions and 14 hours for offensive operations.

During the demonstration, Pakistani officials asserted the Shahpar II's superiority to both the Bayraktar TB2 and the CH-4 – drones currently in service with the Pakistani military. The claim highlights potential competition within Pakistan's existing UCAV arsenal.

Satellite Communications and Cost-Effectiveness​

The Shahpar II incorporates a SATCOM satellite communication system. This provides a critical advantage in long-distance operations and allows the drone to conduct maximum-range missions with real-time communication to ground control stations.

Additionally, GIDS officials emphasize the drone's cost-effectiveness compared to its rivals.

Implications​

The unveiling of the enhanced Shahpar II signals Pakistan's increasing investment in indigenous drone technology.

With claims of superior capability and lower costs compared to existing internationally sourced drones, the Shahpar II has the potential to reshape Pakistan's drone strategy.

Its success could lead to greater reliance on domestically developed systems and increased export potential for Pakistan's defence industry.

 

[Sandeep]

This is an amazing achievement by Pakistan!! India has been trying to achieve this for so long and yet we cannot show such capabilities. DRDO must review its drone program and ensure that we do not fall behind Pakistan at least!!!

Anything Pakistan boasts about in reality it doesn't do what they claim it can do. Also in a real war drones are siting ducks which can be taken out by our jets easily. Also they have received help from China to help them.

 

[Sandeep]

India is not even a regional power only gimmicks and fake bravados

What rubbish! India is a major power that's growing very fast and developing a lot of indigenous technology and weapons!

 

[Sandeep]

this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Your absolutely delusional if you think that Pakistan is racing ahead in developing its own indigenous military weapons and technology which is better than India. Pakistan lies about their military products and it's really unreliable, faulty, poor quality, software issues or lacks the type of weapons and it's range or capability etc. I can go on and on. In a real war a drone is a sitting target which our jets can easily take out. Also Pakistan's junk fighter has the same problem as its drones but everybody has complained about them and most are grounded because its unsafe and doesn't work!

 

[Sandeep]

at this rate how will indians smash CCP??

Nuclear weapons! That's why China can't launch a major attack at all.

 

[Sandeep]

This is another piece of junk! Anything developed by Pakistan its weapons and technology are unreliable, faulty, low and poor quality and it fails to do what they say it can do. Classic example is the junk fighter they developed with China with Chinese technology and with Chinese content and made in China mostly. Most of their junk fighter is grounded around the world which speaks volumes!

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

i am speaking from what was observed in Russia ukraine war. Ukraine used bayrakter UCAV only in first 2 months of war, when russia had shut down its air defence to prevent friendly fire. It was sheer russian incompetence that allowed the bayrakter to be effective. Once russians started using air defence again, all the bayrakters were shot down, tand their ground stations were destroyed. These things are useless against enemy which has decent anti air capability. These require long and well developed air strips, which are usually first targets in a war.

And that's fine, provided u r prepared to bear the cost of losing a drone. Ukraine obviously could not afford to lose the TB2 in large numbers, especially when it was importing them from Turkey. Now they are not so.much worried about losing the marine drones as the damage they are doing on the Russian Black Sea fleet far out weighs its costs.

 

[Man-ju]

A country almost near to bankruptcy is making better equipment than us, GOD, whats wrong with us?

The only thing wrong with us is having a free media. Else in the world of propaganda media everything looks Hunky Dory.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

And that's fine, provided u r prepared to bear the cost of losing a drone. Ukraine obviously could not afford to lose the TB2 in large numbers, especially when it was importing them from Turkey. Now they are not so.much worried about losing the marine drones as the damage they are doing on the Russian Black Sea fleet far out weighs its costs.

ukraine has lost of its TB2 drone and the ground stations as well. They have not been operating them for 1.5 years now. If these drone were so useful then ukraine would have ordered more as as when they were being destroyed.

 

[Man-ju]

In the world of propaganda everything seems as it is shown. Many unanswered questions arise

1. If these drones were better then why does Pakistan Procure TB2 and CH4 in large numbers?
2. Why aren't there any international pitch for sales of these drones as they do for their Chinese built Pakistan assembled JF17?
3. Where and how did they build the complex subsystems for this drone, for a country that cannot even manufacture a single 2 wheeler vehicle indigenously then how come such and complex drone was built?
4. Let's believe the news report and consider it can fly for long durations at medium altitude then it ould need a SATCOM for secure connection control. China and US use their own satellites while Turkey uses American satellites, whose satellites are Pakistanis using for beyond horizon connectivity?

I hope we invested more on propaganda and win wars just online to satisfy armchair defence experts.

 

[Pink Panther]

Not in all areas they don't have swarms like us

But they are one of the top 5 in the world when it comes to drone and loitering technologies, NK’s 6 attack bomber drones recently went all the way till capital Seoul and came back inside their border unharmed recently bypassing all the anti missile defense systems, which means they have a very good EW too.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

ukraine has lost of its TB2 drone and the ground stations as well. They have not been operating them for 1.5 years now. If these drone were so useful then ukraine would have ordered more as as when they were being destroyed.

As I said it depends on your willingness to lose these assets. After the loss of TB2 Turkey started pressurizing Ukraine to stop using them in dangerous missions, as continuous shootdowns would not have boded well for Turkey, who was looking to sell them abroad. Now had they been designed internally by Ukrainian company themselves, I doubt Ukraine would have ceased using them.

In fact there have been multiple instances where some drones where successful in breaching the air defenses of Russia and hit critical infrastructure assets deep inside Russia. Yes they have been too sporadic, with most getting knocked down by Russian EW and air defenses, but some have managed to penetrate the shield successfully. The key is to saturate air defenses, with enough drones that can then overwhelm the air defense capacity to defend the target.

Thus it all comes down to cost-benefit tradeoff, is the cost of losing several drones worth the destruction of specified target? If yes then continue to use drones, else losing a million dollar MALE UAV for the destruction of a small heavily defended, but isolated trench line is of little consequence and makes no sense.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Thus it all comes down to cost-benefit tradeoff, is the cost of losing several drones worth the destruction of specified target? If yes then continue to use drones, else losing a million dollar MALE UAV for the destruction of a small heavily defended, but isolated trench line is of little consequence and makes no sense.

Those drones that you mentioned that struck deep inside russia are not UCAVs. They are 1 way suicide drones. They are basically cheaper and worse versions of cruise missiles.

I dont think your argument of ukraine not using tb2 because of pressure from turkey is true. If ukraine felt that tb2 was worth using (cost to benefit was good) then they would have bought them and used them. Ukraine didnt have a shortage of money. They had created a crowdfunded fund to buy these drones. Turkey was so happy they had even gifted a few tb2 to them lol. Sort of like a buy 10 get 1 free kind of deal. You can read about it

 

[CCPSmasher]

Nuclear weapons! That's why China can't launch a major attack at all.

Nuclear is only efective against those who don't have one. But against those who has it's still a conventional and non conevntional duelings.

 

[CCPSmasher]

at this rate how will indians smash CCP??

By sending internet senas and of course, our Bison

 

[ramdas]

Yeah it’s even better than the MQ9 predator.