Featured Pakistan operationalises Bayraktar TB-2 MALE UCAV for PAF

[Zarvan]

TB2 has a major issue in terms of its range due to its limitation of operations in Line of Sight (LOS) zone.
Unless Pakistan veers towards acquisition of TB-2S or an upgrade of comm system to satellite comm for Beyond Line of Sight BLOS, the extended operational range is hard to achieve.

Pakistan needs to work with China to come up with satellite connection without that drone won't be that effective for us.

 

[PanzerKiel]

Imagery from Air Force Base Murid, #Pakistan shows a likely Baykar Bayraktar TB2 UAV onsite, range ring allows visualization of the area the drone could operate over

https://twitter.com/detresfa_/status/1531258308350423040?s=20&t=vIkB6Dvy1vDvMI7POH0ntg

 

[Al_Muhannad]

Pakistan needs to work with China to come up with satellite connection without that drone won't be that effective for us.

What about creating a airborne relay to extend BLOS operation?

 

[dBSPL]

 

[Signalian]

What about creating a airborne relay to extend BLOS operation?

TB-2S has Satcom

 

[Super Falcon]

also been inducted

 

[LegionnairE]

TB-2S has Satcom

Very few TB-2s have SATCOM antennae due to weight concerns and as far as I'm aware, none of the exported TB-2s have it.

It's a tactical UAV and it's not what it's made for.

If Pakistan wants a very long range, very long endurance strategic UAV, they should buy Anka or Aksungur.

 

[TheSolution]

Very few TB-2s have SATCOM antennae due to weight concerns and as far as I'm aware, none of the exported TB-2s have it.

It's a tactical UAV and it's not what it's made for.

If Pakistan wants a very long range, very long endurance strategic UAV, they should buy Anka or Aksungur.

I think Pakistan co-poduces Anka, and also has the Akinci

 

[TheSolution]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1428995323737907202

https://twitter.com/x/status/1583528582516592640

I wonder how our drone arsenal compares to other nations, it seems abnormally large

 

[LegionnairE]

I think Pakistan co-poduces Anka, and also has the Akinci

Those two have SATCOM, although Akıncı is more combat oriented than endurance, carries a payload that resembles a multi-role fighter.

Anka and Aksungur are more built for Endurance and data gathering.

I wonder how our drone arsenal compares to other nations, it seems abnormally large

There are still things we're lacking.

Anka 3 is a very exciting project, it will do many of the missions F35 was was meant to do.

It would be nice to have an aerial refueling drone and a HALE drone like the Global Hawk

 

[SQ8]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1428995323737907202

https://twitter.com/x/status/1583528582516592640

I wonder how our drone arsenal compares to other nations, it seems abnormally large

Not really - Pakistan pioneered in house drones in the 90s before dropping off during the mid-2010s. Proportionally Pakistan needs more UAVs that can take on more and more surveillance roles especially in the large lifeless tracts of Balochistan and the Afpak border.

From operating costs and basic human costs - a drone is much cheaper to operate and can potentially supplement and even replace everything from Recon to attack choppers for the PA.

@Signalian @JamD @PanzerKiel @Bilal Khan (Quwa)
JASDF is fully retiring all of its helo recon and attack fleet in 5-10 years to be replaced completely by UAV/UCAVs

Too soon or this is the reality forward seeing how attack helos and helos in general were mauled over Ukraine?

 

[Erieye]

From operating costs and basic human costs - a drone is much cheaper to operate and can potentially supplement and even replace everything from Recon to attack choppers for the PA.

is it significantly cheaper, like less than half the cost it would be using the typical assets, or just slightly cheaper?

if it is significantly cheaper then we maybe could have more affordable air campaigns against TTP/BLA happen regularly when their presence increases

 

[SQ8]

is it significantly cheaper, like less than half the cost it would be using the typical assets, or just slightly cheaper?

if it is significantly cheaper then we maybe could have more affordable air campaigns against TTP/BLA happen regularly when their presence increases

There isn’t anyone in there for a start so no cost of life

Most run on Rotax or similar series and are much cheaper to operate than helicopters.

The avionics fit really is what is similarly priced in general.

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Not really - Pakistan pioneered in house drones in the 90s before dropping off during the mid-2010s. Proportionally Pakistan needs more UAVs that can take on more and more surveillance roles especially in the large lifeless tracts of Balochistan and the Afpak border.

From operating costs and basic human costs - a drone is much cheaper to operate and can potentially supplement and even replace everything from Recon to attack choppers for the PA.

@Signalian @JamD @PanzerKiel @Bilal Khan (Quwa)
JASDF is fully retiring all of its helo recon and attack fleet in 5-10 years to be replaced completely by UAV/UCAVs

Too soon or this is the reality forward seeing how attack helos and helos in general were mauled over Ukraine?

tbh I think Turkey is stealthily moving towards an unmanned attack helicopter program as well. They had shown a concept model based on the T-629 some years ago. If Turkey was studying this idea pre-Ukraine, then it wouldn't surprise me if Japan already has an unmanned Kawasaki OH-1 concept in the works too, if not late-stage development. I'm confident Japan didn't pull this idea out of thin air; rather, they might have a real-world system already.

Granted, these aren't as low cost as the Rotax-powered UAVs. However, in the world of attack helicopters, these lighter systems are using more COTS and low-cost inputs. They're relatively low-cost given the sensor, payload, and range.

If they remove the crewed areas, they will have opened up more room for fuel, hence enabling a long-range rotary attack capability.

Turkey's project:

 

[hyperman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1428995323737907202

https://twitter.com/x/status/1583528582516592640

I wonder how our drone arsenal compares to other nations, it seems abnormally large

The Akinci drone is going to be transformational for Pakistan's counter insurgency operations, which make up the bulk of military operations outside of conventional warfare. The Akinci Drone is going to be the largest drone in the Pakistani inventory, and its able to support a wide range of munitions up to and including bigger munitions like cruise missiles, its endurance is incredibly long, as it can be inflight for more than a day(25 hrs to be exact). and its operational range is 7,500 km, which should cover all of Pakistan as well as all of Afghanistan. Its equipped with satellite navigation so its there isn't a fear of a loss of signal like with smaller drones, and it has a strong electrooptical sensors. In short its the perfect mix of a long endurance UAV along with the payload capacity of something that would normally be carried on an f-16, plus the added benefit of the electrooptical sensors, and the fact that is unmanned so there isn't an issue with Pilot fatigue. When you add on to the fact that flying counter insurgency strike missions on something like the f-16 is far more expensive, it really seems like the perfect platform for counter insurgency. If fielded in numbers is can have a significant impact to capabilities in COIN operations.

You could have an Akinci sit 45,000 ft above Kabul, or even anywhere over Afghanistan given its operational range. Waiting and stalking a target for example Daesh or TTP, watching it closely with the Aselsan CATS and other sensors(some that can also be added additionally on pylons), sit there for hours and hours, and if its decided to hit the target, you can hit the target with something as small as a cirit missile or a MAM-L guided bomb, or something as big as a SOM cruise missile. Its the type of flexibility that very few platforms possess, and certainly not at the same price point.