IDEAS 2018: Pakistan army welcome robots into the family

The age of robots has finally come to Pakistan, with the country’s army proudly producing its very own range of robots capable of performing difficult but vital tasks at the line of battle.

IDEAS 2018, showcased some of the best Pakistan has to offer, for example the EOD robot- Explosive Ordnance Disposal. The EOD comes with a mechanical arm and a whole lot of other attachments, which can is capable of manipulating the IEDs (Improvise Explosive device).

“With the help of this device, we can remove the IEDs from its main charge, previously the EOD operator himself used to operate it on the IEDs,” said Raza Haider, , Project Manager of Robotics at NRTC (National Radio Transmission Corporation), while speaking to Business Recorder at the IDEAS 2018 defense expo.

Next, in line was the automatic grenade launcher, packed with a thermal sight. The platform is based on an independent suspension system, and the tracks are suitable to travel in rugged mountainous terrain.

“The launcher’s purpose is surveillance and deterrence; it is capable of throwing grenades up to the range of 2.4km and we will also mount MG-103 heavy machine gun from Pakistan ordinance factory.”

“So basically it is a unique platform with multiple payloads  and multiple weapons,” informed the NRTC official.

NRTC, with 48 years of history is the only military telecom industry in Pakistan that straddles the entire value chain from research, design, development, manufacture, testing, qualification, repair & maintenance and obsolescence management.