An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is commonly known as a "drone", and also referred to as a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). As the name suggests, it is an aircraft without a human pilot, and its flight is controlled either autonomously by on-board computers or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle. It can work in "all weather conditions".
Pakistan recently developed an indigenous drone, which was influenced by the US Predator and the Chinese CASC Rainbow CH-3. The National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM), a civil scientific research and development organization of Pakistan, in collaboration with Pakistan Air Force (PAF) designed and built the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), starting in 2009. Pakistan Army uses this technology in counter insubordination operations in North- West Pakistan.
ISPR named this technology, "Burraq".
The name, Burraq, comes from the creature mentioned in Surah Al-Isra in the Holy Qur'an. According to Islamic teachings, Burraq is a steadfast horse that came from Heaven and carried Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) from Mecca to Mi'raj (The Night Journey). Burraq, the drone, is claimed to be the most accurate UAV, which carries a wide range of imagery and motion sensors, and is equipped with a laser guided missile named "Barq". This technology has an ability to fire missiles on objects, whether in motion or stationary.
About the Burraq program, popular scientists said: "With Burraq, Pakistan can now make drone strikes on their own, without the help of the United States".
Before the unveiling of this technology to the country, Pakistan Army conducted several UAV strikes in operations conducted in Khyber Agency in Tirah valley. Today, on the 7th of September 2015, Pakistan successfully test fired Burraq. D.G. ISPR Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa announced the first airstrike of the Pakistani made drone in Shawwal valley, which eradicated 3 high-profile terrorists in their compound, which is a huge success for Pakistan.
After the development of Burraq, Pakistan ranks as the 9th country in the world to successfully built a drone.
