Pakistan to buy 48 military aerial drones from China

Pakistan will import some 48 military aerial drones from China that will be the largest such arms deal of its kind, according to a Chinese media outlet's report.

In a report of Global Times, Pakistan Air Force's Sherdils Aerobatic Team announced the deal on its official Facebook account. However, it did not reveal how much it was worth, when the deal was struck or when the Wing Loong IIs will be delivered, the report said.

However, the air force academy aerobatics team announced that in the future the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company will jointly manufacture the drones.

As per the report, Wing Loong II, made by Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company, is a high-end reconnaissance and strike multi-role endurance unmanned aircraft system.

A deal involving as many as 48 Wing Loong IIs, if confirmed, would be China's largest export deal for drones to date, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Chinese English daily.

"Chinese UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) like Caihong series also has clients from countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia," Song said.

Earlier, in July, Pakistan and Turkey signed an agreement on the sale of 30 Turkish T129 attack helicopters in what will be the biggest export deal of the Turkish defence industry, the country's defence industry directorate said. Turkey's deal with Pakistan to sell T129 helicopters is worth around $1.5 billion.