Pakistan has attracted “serious interest” for the Xpert Engineering Uqab unmanned air system (UAS) from Bahrain and other countries in Asia and Africa, according to company officials.
The 130kg tactical drone has entered operations with the Pakistan army and navy, which have ordered five Uqab systems, with 800 total flight hours so far, said Mahmud Ahmad Khan, executive director of Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS), the parent company of Xpert Engineering.
https://twitter.com/gettdan/status/1110177312388145153
Potential Uqab customers include the UAE, Indonesia, Turkmenistan and Egypt, Khan said. Pakistan’s Ministry of the Interior is also interested in the UAS.
The UAS is designed to take-off and land on runways while being controlled by a human pilot in a ground station. The aircraft also features a 4h endurance and a 100-150km range, Khan said.
A gyro-stabilised pod can store up to 20kg of payload, which now includes an off-the-shelf daylight camera and thermal imager. The aircraft also can be operated as a communications relay system, Khan said.
UQAB – Pakistan’s UAV SYSTEM
Tactical UAV System
Uqab is a tactical UAV System which can be effectively used for battle damage assessment, aerial reconnaissance, artillery fire correction, joint forces operations, search and rescue missions, coastal area surveillance, route monitoring, internal security/mob control and flood relief operations etc.
#Uqab, Tactical/Training UAV System. In other words #Pakistan's very own drone! Our eyes in the skies! #ideas2016 pic.twitter.com/lGi9S61Vqp
— Mera FM 107.4 (@MeraFMofficial) November 23, 2016
Presently the system is being used by Pakistan Security Forces.
Performance Characteristics
| Range | 150 km |
| Endurance | 6 hrs |
| Height Ceiling | 3,000 m |
| Speed | 120 ~ 150 km/hr |
| Launch/Recovery | Wheeled |
| Flight Mode | Autopilot/RPV 1000 waypoints, Re-programmable during flight, Fail-safe mode, Loiter mode & User-defined holding patterns |
| Tracking/Navigation | GPS Based |
| Telemetry Data | Real-time digital video Position and health of UAV Geo-referencing |
| Payload Weight/Type | Gyro-stabilized gimbal with colour day camera, thermal imager with target tracking and locking capabilities |
| Power Plant | 250 km |
Dimensions & Weight
| Wing Span | 5.5 m |
| Length | 4.0 m |
| Height | 1.2 m |
| Max Takeoff Weight | 200 kg (approx) |
Ground Control Station (GCS) for Uqab UAV
Ground Control Station is a truck-mounted air-conditioned, insulated container which is equipped with standard, ruggedized consoles.
Characteristics
1: User-friendly mission planning and execution
2: Mission de-briefing & simulation
3: In-flight mission re-programming
4: Flexible waypoints entry & editing during the flight (direct from map & keypad)
5: Mission parameter & flight data logger for post-flight analysis & simulation
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6: Real-time video and telemetry data
7: Moving map software
8: Geo-referencing
9: Easy payload (camera) controls
10: Separate consoles for mission commander, UAV pilot & payload operator
11: Easy to read displays and gauges
12: Standby control links (redundancy)
13: Back-up power supply