SHAHPAR-III

The SHAHPAR-III is a Group 4+ MALE unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Pakistan’s GIDS. It is designed to combine long-endurance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions with armed operations. Its larger airframe, retractable landing gear and six external stations allow the aircraft to carry different mission configurations.

According to GIDS data, the SHAHPAR-III can remain airborne for up to 30 hours in its ISR configuration and up to 16 hours when armed. The company lists an operating ceiling above 30,000 feet for ISR missions and up to 28,000 feet for the armed configuration. The aircraft is described with a 125-kilogram internal payload capacity and up to 570 kilograms of external payload distributed across its hardpoints.

The SHAHPAR-III is designed to support electro-optical and infrared imaging, synthetic aperture radar, COMINT and ELINT payloads. SATCOM and redundant datalinks are intended to support beyond-line-of-sight missions, while AI- assisted target detection and image-based geo-referencing can help operators interpret information across large areas. The platform remains part of Pakistan’s developing heavy UCAV programme and is being positioned as a multi-role system for surveillance, reconnaissance and strike missions.