Pak To Purchase Long-Range “Rainbow” Combat Drones: Report

Pakistan is eyeing to purchase Chinese long-range Rainbow CH-4 and CH5 drones. It is the first time that the country is acquiring a long-range drone.

According to the intelligence agency's report, Pakistan has decided to increase the number of drones in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to increase the surveillance on the international border including the Line of Control (LoC), Defence News reported Wednesday.

The CH-4 can carry up to 400 kilograms of explosives and can stay in the air for 40 hours. It can cover a range of up to 5,000 kilometres. The Rainbow CH-5 can carry up to 1,000 kilograms of explosives and stay in the air up to 60 hours.

The drones can fly up to 17,000 feet height in the air.

In October 2018, reports suggested Pakistan’s intention to buy 48 Wing Loong II drones from China, its “all weather ally.” The Wing Loong II is a high-end reconnaissance, strike and multi-role endurance unmanned aerial system, capable of being fitted with air-to-surface weapons. It is roughly equivalent to the American MQ-9 Reaper drone.

The two countries have also recently begun working together to make the Block III version of the JF-17 fighter jet match the latest version of the United States F-16 V aircraft by equipping the jet with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, helmet-mounted targeting system, an advanced targeting pod, data links and beyond visual range weapons.