Falco-Pakistani Drone
Because of ‘War on terror’, many countries (at least US) think that Pakistan is not supporting that much. Whereas we are fighting a war which wasn’t even ours. Our land, our blood but their fight. To meet their demand, Pakistan requested Predator drones from USA so that they can use it against Talibans in Northern Areas but US declined. Pakistan asked for helicopters but they didn’t listen. Pakistan asked for satellites but US declined too. Pakistan asked for 80,000 M16s or AK47s but US ignored again. Now, hell with them, we can make ours. Just like JF 17 and Al-Khalid tank, we have started production of UAVs too.
US have done more then 50 strikes in Pakistan in last 2 years with the help of these drones and indeed these strikes did hit some of the ‘hot spots’ though killed a lot of innocent civilians too. Necessity is the mother of invention, and there you go, Pakistan has now started production of Falco drones in Aeronautical Complex in Kamra. It is being produced with the help of an Italian company ‘Selex Galileo‘ which claims to lead the unmanned aerial systems market. They have been working together on this project for 2 years. The basic mission is target detection, localization, identification and designation through its on-board sensors suite which typically include a thermal imager, a color TV Camera and a spotter, or a laser designator. The best features of the FALCO System include automatic take-off and landing with Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) performance, fully redundant and fault-tolerant control systems, digital buses and control link equipment, automatic area surveillance modes and near-real-time target image processing. Unlike US Predator drones, it cannot deliver munitions but laser-designate targets for other platforms. Still it is an option. We may be able to equip it with weapons if need arises in future.
What is a drone actually ? It is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. It can spy on territories where one cannot risk to take jet fighters or forces. Right now, it is believed that Pakistan is working with Chinese and Turkish firms to establish another predator like drone named as ‘Burraq‘. Pakistan has also developed a drone named as ‘Uqab‘. Pakistan has been working very closesly with the Turks who have had access to Israeli technology on UAV development.
Uqab
Here is a link to video that will give you an idea about Falco. Though it is not that advanced like Predator drones but hey, something is better than nothing. And let me tell you, its not just ‘Something’. Indian media have already started propaganda against this drone. Unlike them, we have manufactured it, not bought it from Israel or any other country. I hope US keeps on refusing our proposals and no wonder we’ll be able to make what they are trying to these days.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdtbU58n-Ds&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Where there is a will , there is a way. Well done! Keep it up.
Well, you really don’t have much of a choice. You have to fight the war. Unless of course you’d like to slowely lose all of you freedoms and be forced to adhere to a version of Islam that you likely don’t agree with. And you’d lose the ability to even run this site. But thanks for helping in the fight Pakistan.
falco is a UAV(unmanned aerial vehicle). but predator and other of its drones are UCAVs(unmanned combat air vehicles). like UCAVs our pakistani FALCO cannot launch missiles. but the good thing is it can laser point the target. that i think is a commendable advancement in technology. but till the time pakistan does not get the satellite link as in US drones, the development of a UCAV is not possible. i am really proud that FALCO is made successfully!