Pak Air Force says it is using drones only for surveillance

Islamabad, Sep 7 (ANI): The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has said that it is using unmanned aerial vehicles for intelligence gathering and surveillance and not for attacking targets.

Clarifying the media reports regarding use of drones to attack targets, the PAF statement said that "drones are used by us only for intelligence-gathering and surveillance."

The statement also said that the rank and name of the Chief of Air Staff has also been published incorrectly. "His complete rank and name is Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman."

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is for the first time using unmanned UAV drone planes in its ongoing annual war exercise in Sargodha, the Daily Times reported.

The focus of the drill named 'Saffron Bandit 2009-10' is to train fighter pilots in counter insurgency operations and carrying out precision attacks on militant hideouts.

Briefing media persons about the exercise at the Air Force Headquarters, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Hasan said the drills were aimed at training the PAF for operations against the terrorists.

"PAF is employing for the first time in the recent drills pilotless UAV drone planes to target the enemies. It was due to the precision of PAF planning that common people were not among the casualties," Air Vice Marshal Hasan said.

Air Vice Marshal Hasan also informed that a joint military exercise, Exercise High Mark 2010, involving both the Army and the Air Force would be held next year. (ANI)