Pakistan has attracted "serious interest" for the Xpert Engineering Uqab unmanned air system (UAS) from Bahrain and other countries in Asia and Africa, according to company officials.
The 130kg tactical drone has entered operations with the Pakistan army and navy, which have ordered five Uqab systems, with 800 total flight hours so far, said Mahmud Ahmad Khan, executive director of Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS), the parent company of Xpert Engineering.
Potential Uqab customers include the UAE, Indonesia, Turkmenistan and Egypt, Khan said. Pakistan's Ministry of the Interior is also interested in the UAS.
The UAS is designed to take-off and land on runways while being controlled by a human pilot in a ground station. The aircraft also features a 4h endurance and a 100-150km range, Khan said.
A gyro-stabilised pod can store up to 20kg of payload, which now includes an off-the-shelf daylight camera and thermal imager. The aircraft also can be operated as a communications relay system, Khan said.
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Source: Flight Daily News
