The Uqaab, Pakistan Army's drone designed and built by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, is the first step towards the eventual mass production of a Pakistani UAV. Technical details shared by Pakistani officials suggest that the Uqaab can fly at an altitude of about 15,000 ft and is equipped with day- and night-vision equipment. There have been unconfirmed reports that Pakistan has discussed with China the possibility of further developing the Uqaab to carry a weapons payload, according to Jane's.
Project to develop the Uqaab Tactical UAV for the Pakistan Army to meet its requirements of remotely controlled, self-piloted Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which can carry sensors like camera or communications equipment and provide real-time imagery intelligence at to the tactical commanders.
Pakistan army wanted its Uqaab Tactical UAV to be a modular system design with low radar signature. Project began in 2007 and three Pakistani firms participated in the competition.
huma
Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) offered its Huma-I and Huma-II Tactical UAV systems to the Pakistan Army for the Uqaab Tactical unmanned aerial vehicle project.
Second company which entered into the competition was Advanced Computing and Engineering Solutions (ACES). ACES offered Pakistan Army its Eagle-Eye P-I UAV and larger Eagle-Eye P-II UAV systems.
Albadeey Technologies participated in the competition launched by the Pakistan Army’s competition for the Uqaab Tactical unmanned aerial vehicle with its offered Hud Hud II and its larger version Hud Hud III Unmanned Aerial Vehicle systems.
Unmanned aerial vehicles offered by the all three competitors for the tactical Uqaab UAV project was considerable lower than 150km as specified by the Pakistan Army. Therefore Pakistan Army selected the Advanced Computing and Engineering Solutions’ Eagle Eye-PI/II tactical UAV due to its impressive performance. Eagle Eye-PII Tactical UAV system became the basis for the Uqaab Tactical UAV system which has enhanced range and performance.
Tactical Uqaab UAV can transmit pictures and video taken Colored Video Camera to the ground station from a distance of 10 km and it has endurance of over 4 hrs. It can fly at speed of 150 kilometers at an altitude of over 3000 meters.
It uses conventional wheeled takeoff and landings for deployments and it can use either 1000 Reprogrammable waypoints for its autonomous flying mode or it can be remotely piloted. It is capable of carrying payload of over 20 kg and its max Takeoff Weight 190 Kg.
Pakistan army also announced that it has issued a further contract for the development of a longer range version of the Uqaab Tactical UAV with enhanced endurance. This version was called Uqaab Strategic UAV and its range from which it can provide real time video feed was specified to be over 350 kilometers.
Uqaab Strategic UAV system may be able to attract interest from the Pakistan navy at some time in future. Pakistan navy has presently expressed in the concept of acquiring unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with maritime surveillance radar in a large belly fairing under the UAV
