US offers Pak tech for Raven drones

The US has offered technology for 85 mini Raven drones to Pakistan,but local manufacturers said they can build an equally potent.

The US has offered technology for 85 mini Raven drones to Pakistan,but local manufacturers said they can build an equally potent,if not a more powerful version,at just a fifth of the price quoted by Americans,a media report said Monday.

At least 11 corps of the Army are set to receive a system,comprising Raven aircraft and one ground station,the Express Tribune newspaper reported quoting its sources within the military and local drone manufacturing industry.

While officials are tight-lipped about the exact cost and model of the short-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufactured by the US-based AeroVironment Inc,the cost of each system is estimated to be between $200,000 and $275,000,the daily said. The funds for their procurement are expected to come from the US governments foreign military sales provisions for security assistance and aid. Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Athar Abbas however says the deal has not been formalised yet.

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Raja Sabri Khan,chief executive of Integrated Dynamics,a private company based in Karachi,called the Raven a toy that was developed 15 years ago. The daily said Khan already has a product called Rover that far exceeds the capability of Raven at just one-third of the price.

Meanwhile,the daily also said Pakistan was mulling approaching the United Nations Security Council to mount pressure on Washington for halting drone strikes inside its ribal regions. We have decided it in principle. We will soon be preparing our case for approaching the UN on these attacks, a federal minister told daily requesting anonymity.