CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -China will sell 48 high-end military drones to its “all-weather ally” Pakistan in what a military observer said will be the largest deal of its kind between the two countries, official media in Beijing reported today. The cost of the deal was not revealed.

Detailed explanation-2: -Pakistan received five Cai Hong 4 (Rainbow 4, or CH-4) multirole medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs from China in January 2021. A Chinese PLA detachment based in Pasni, Gwadar helps the Pakistani military operate these CH-4B drones, reported Insideover.

Detailed explanation-3: -Beijing has sold 50 armed drones to Pakistan which the Chinese media has termed a nightmare for Indian ground formations in high-altitude areas as India’s military does not have the ability to respond to the new-age stand-off weapons.

Detailed explanation-4: -By comparison, the United States-which has the most advanced UAVs in the world-has delivered just 12 combat drones in the same period, all of them to France and the United Kingdom, according to SIPRI data. The US, however, still leads in the export of unarmed surveillance drones.

Detailed explanation-5: -According to reports, Pakistan acquired five CH-4 drones from China earlier this year. Apart from China and Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Myanmar, and Jordan also operate the CH-4 besides others.