Pakistan’s Drone Portfolio Takes a New Turn

This analysis by Dr. Tughral Yamin, Senior IPS Associate, examines Pakistan’s expanding drone portfolio following its reported agreement with US-based Powerus. The policy insight explores Pakistan’s diverse sources of unmanned systems, including indigenous, Chinese, Turkish, American, German, and Italian platforms, and the strategic rationale for supplier diversification. It also assesses the potential for joint technology development and local production. Importantly, the commentary highlights that Pakistan’s future drone strategy will depend not only on acquiring platforms but also on integrating systems, controlling software and data, and developing a resilient, domestically supported unmanned technology ecosystem.