REVIEWING THE PAKISTANI BURRAQ UAV

The known Buraaq, Shapur CH 3 UAV

Pakistan yesterday has successfully demonstrated a UAV armed with two guided missiles capable of striking targets with very high amount of accuracy, and Pakistan claims to have it developed indigenously. The UAV is a real challenge to India and other nations. The event was witnessed by the Chief of Staff General Raheel. The UAV is named Buraaq which is a light weight, all weather, low altitude UAV. Buraaq is armed with two laser guided missiles. Pakistani forces have promised to use the Buraaq in Anti-Terrorism operations. 

Reports claim the UAV is the same Chinese UAV named CH 3 inducted to Chinese Army about ten years ago, looks like the same has also been exported to Pakistani Army. It’s highly debatable if the Pakistan forces were able to produce something about this magnitude. The main reason being

1.     Pakistan hasn’t cultivated a indigenous Engine programs.

2.     Pakistan hasn’t made major break troughs in sensors programs.

3.     Pakistan hasn’t made any break troughs in the Wind tunnel technology that is a      crucial deciding feature in the designing of a UAV.

These are the basic technologies involved in the developing a credible UAV system. Even if the engines and sensor suite are imported the design phase itself is an extremely sophisticated process. Developing and installing the engines and sensor suite is an extremely cumbersome process. The claimed Burraq first flown in the 2009 it has taken almost six years to make a public appearance.

A crashed Chinese CH 3 in Nigeria, same model renamed as Buraaq

Last month a similar UAV was spotted in Nigeria with two missiles, China has vast interests in Nigeria and is known to be actively supporting the Nigerian army to fight against the Boko Haram Militants. That roughly gives a picture of a crashed a Chinese CH 3 armed with two Guided Missiles. The UAV itself has failed to help make any major progress in the war against terrorism. 

Unlike other drones the CH 3 is a short range UAV and the requirement of equipments to control it is very huge. The drone which was exhibited to the COAS flew within a 500 mts radius. Chinese have adopted hundreds of UAV programs they cloned the so called MQ 9 Reaper and MQ 4 Global Hawk too which was recently revealed in the Chinese ZHUZAI Air show. But the drone is yet to prove it’s effectiveness on the battlefield.

The Burraq armed with two laser guided missiles is an major breakthrough for both Chinese and Pakistan. The missiles seems to have derived their design from the American Hellfire AGM, The AR 1 is an small missile which uses laser guidance and is capable of hitting any mobile target within ten kilometres of the range of the missile. The missile carries 10 kilo grams of HESH or HEAT ammunition, which have failed to pierce Tank armour but can be a good platform against Troop convoy's. The usage of the UAV against such strikes proves to be a risk free decision and can also greatly reduce the operation cost.

  when comes to achievement that's a good achievement to countries like Pakistan

Control Panel of the UAV

COAS witnessing the Destruction, smoke seems less effective Bomb