Pakistan unveils its own military drones

KABUL, Afghanistan - Pakistan's military unveiled two domestically produced drones Monday, even as the country is facing growing protests over U.S. drone strikes on Pakistani soil.

After years of preparation, the "Strategically Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" were formally announced by military chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani. The drones, called Burraq and Shahpar, will not be armed and are to be used only for surveillance, military officials said.

The development of the drones, believed to have a range of about 75 miles, represents a significant milestone for the country's military and scientists, said Pakistani and Western analysts.

"It is a landmark and a historic event, wherein a very effective force multiplier has been added to the inventory of the armed forces," the military said in a statement.

For years, Pakistan's military has seen up-close the effectiveness of the U.S. drone campaign, which has included hundreds of strikes within their borders. When the United States began using armed drones after the Sept, 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf asked President George W. Bush to supply drone technology to his country.

The United States declined, setting in motion the nuclear-armed nation's homegrown effort to develop the technology.

Pakistan's military first revealed its new drone technology at a trade show last year, but Monday's unveiling coincides with an ongoing farewell tour by Kayani, who is retiring after two terms as army chief.

Muhammad Saad, a former Pakistani military senior officer familiar with the subject, and other observers said Pakistan was still years away from being able to develop armed drones. Still, Monday's announcement will likely unnerve Pakistan's neighbors, including India and Afghanistan.

Peter Singer, a military hardware and analysts at the Brookings Institution, said most surveillance drones could be armed, although they would lack the precision of U.S.-developed models.

"Almost any unmanned system can be armed in a crude style, such as dropping a bomb or even turning it into an equivalent of a cruise missile that you fly into the target," said Singer, adding the announcement will likely add to growing fears about proliferation of drone technology.

The military's announcement comes as Pakistan is facing growing discontent in parts of the country over recent U.S. drone strikes, including an attack earlier this month that killed the leader of the Pakistan Taliban.

Spokesmen for the NATO mission in Afghanistan did not respond to requests for comment.