VECTORDEFENCE DRONE
INTELLIGENCE
INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE
THE EVOLVING FIELD GUIDE
Editor

Air · Drone / system

Uqab-NG

A catapult-launched Pakistani tactical reconnaissance aircraft with net recovery and manufacturer-reported domestic use.

Role & capabilities

  • Reconnaissance aircraft
Supplier-reported statusSupplier-reported status
Primary domain
Air
System type
Reconnaissance aircraft
Developer / manufacturer
Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS)
Origin / production countries
Pakistan
Other names
Uqab NG; UQAB-NG
Variants / configurations
Catapult-launched Uqab-NG; Hybrid electric VTOL derivative — supplier describes development
Operators / programme customers
Pakistan — use reported by GIDS; exact customer configuration not established

Evidence & current status

Use is supplier-reported. Brochure revisions differ; this profile retains the selected table's baseline and flags conflicts.

Uqab-NG is a tactical reconnaissance aircraft offered by GIDS for surveillance without a conventional runway. The current brochure describes catapult launch, net recovery and an emergency parachute, together with a day-and-night sensor pod and a ground control system. GIDS also reports that the aircraft has been used in Pakistan's counter-terrorism operations; that remains a supplier statement in this entry.

Several GIDS brochures circulate with different altitude and weight presentations. The specification below follows the brochure that lists 100 plus or minus 10 kilograms take-off weight and an 18,000-foot ceiling. An older brochure's 20,000-foot figure is not silently combined with that baseline. The current table's payload limit is used in preference to conflicting promotional wording elsewhere in the same material.

A hybrid VTOL derivative is described as under development. It is listed as a proposed derivative rather than treated as a capability of the catapult-launched aircraft. Operators, certification and performance should be attached to the exact delivered configuration as further customer evidence becomes available.

Sourced specifications

Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.

SpecificationReported valueContext & source
AirframeFixed-wing tactical UAVSupplier-published figure; configuration and operating conditions affect performance. Source ↗
Launch / recoveryCatapult launch; net recovery; emergency parachuteSupplier-published figure; configuration and operating conditions affect performance. Source ↗
PropulsionElectronic-fuel-injection engineSupplier-published figure; configuration and operating conditions affect performance. Source ↗
DimensionsNot established from the reviewed public sources.Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗
Mass100 ±10 kg take-off weightSupplier-published figure; configuration and operating conditions affect performance. Source ↗
Endurance8 hours in specification tableBrochure prose says more than eight hours; table baseline used. Source ↗
Range150 km line-of-sightData-link / operating range; not ferry distance. Source ↗
SpeedNot established from the reviewed public sources.Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗
Altitude5,500 m / 18,000 ft above mean sea levelCurrent brochure baseline; older brochures publish 20,000+ ft. Source ↗
PayloadUp to 15 kg in specification tablePromotional prose in the brochure gives different wording; table used. Source ↗
SensorsStabilised day and thermal imaging podSupplier-published figure; configuration and operating conditions affect performance. Source ↗
Communications / navigationDigital data link and satellite navigationHigh-level functions only. Source ↗

Publication history

  • — Added a sourced global catalogue profile with configuration-specific data and explicit evidence limits.

Suggest a correction to this entry →

Follow the evidence

Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.

  1. GIDS: Uqab-NG brochure and specification table (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer
  2. GIDS: older UAV catalogue for variant comparison (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer

Explore the connections

Air · Coverage auditAsia

Asia defence drone coverage audit

12 original research topics reviewed: 0 resolved, 11 partially resolved and 1 still open. The remaining register identifies specific evidence needs.

Reviewed 21 Sept 2026Read