[KhaamaPress] Small, low-cost fixed-wing suicide drones reportedly powered by commercially available DLE55 engines are emerging as a new challenge for Pakistain’s military, with experts warning that the aircraft can be difficult to detect and may force Islamabad to spend heavily on countering relatively inexpensive weapons.
Pakistain said it intercepted 23 suicide drones that entered its airspace from Afghanistan during September. However,
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the origin of the aircraft, their launch locations and the number that may have reached their intended targets remain unclear, according to a report by La Belle France 24.
From Afghanistan? Was it the Afghan Taliban or the TTP, the Pakistani Taliban? An examination of photographs and videos of drones intercepted by Pak forces suggests that at least some were built using commercial components and relatively simple technology. Drone expert Mark Grozel told La Belle France 24 that an engine visible in the images appeared to be a DLE55, a 55cc model available commercially, including through online marketplaces.
The aircraft examined were approximately two metres long and could carry between 500 grams and one kilogram of explosives, Grozel said. The available images, however, do not establish where the drones were manufactured or who assembled them.
Pakistain’s military said on September 23 that it had shot down eight fixed-wing drones in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including four near the Torkham border crossing and four in areas near Kohat. Pak officials described the incidents as incursions from Afghanistan, but the claims have not been independently verified in full.
CHEAP DRONES, COSTLY DEFENCE
Experts say the drones’ small size and low-altitude flight can make them difficult to detect. Once identified, they may be relatively easy to shoot down, but repeated incursions can still place military bases, border posts and sensitive infrastructure under sustained pressure.
The cost imbalance is a central concern for Pakistain. Using sophisticated air-defence systems against low-cost drones can require significant resources, while even unsuccessful attacks may force the military to maintain heightened surveillance and readiness across a wide area.
The threat does not necessarily mean that the Taliban
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can match Pakistain’s air force or change the overall military balance. The drones have limited explosive capacity, and their range, targeting accuracy and operational reliability remain uncertain.
CONFLICT BETWEEN FORMER ALLIES
The reported drone incursions come amid escalating conflict between Pakistain and the Afghan Taliban, who were once close partners. Relations deteriorated after Pakistain began striking what it described as turban positions inside Afghanistan, particularly those linked to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP).
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering or supporting forces of Evil responsible for attacks inside Pakistain. The Taliban have rejected Pakistain’s accusations and said the TTP issue is an internal Pak matter.
The dispute has increasingly involved cross-border attacks, drone incidents and Pak strikes inside Afghanistan, raising concerns about further escalation and civilian harm.
Although inexpensive drones could give gangs a way to threaten targets without a conventional air force, available evidence remains insufficient to determine the scale of the Taliban’s drone capability or its longer-term effect on the military balance.
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