Turkey-Made Armed 'Asisguard Songar' Drones Used By Pakistan Against India. What Are They? | Explained

Hours after India's air defence systems successfully repelled a significant drone attack from Pakistan targeting 36 military and civilian locations, officials confirmed that the drones were likely Turkish-manufactured Asisguard Songar armed UAVs.

"We neutralised these drones using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods. The likely objective was to assess our air defence readiness and gather intelligence.

Photo Credit: https://www.asisguard.com.tr

A forensic investigation of the drone wreckage is ongoing. Early findings suggest the drones are Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models.

Later that evening, Pakistan attempted another strike, this time targeting the Bathinda military station with an armed UAV," stated Colonel Sofia Qureshi.

India's air defences responded swiftly, successfully intercepting most of the drones before they could cause substantial harm.

The Songar drone is Turkey's first domestically developed armed UAV, manufactured by Ankara-based defence firm Asisguard.

Introduced into service in 2019, the Songar is a quadrotor unmanned combat aerial vehicle capable of both remote-controlled and autonomous operations, making it particularly suitable for asymmetric warfare and cross-border missions.

Key Features

Armed Capabilities: Reports suggest the Songar can be outfitted with a stabilised automatic machine gun, mini-missiles, or 81mm mortar rounds, allowing it to engage a wide range of targets, including personnel, vehicles, and lightly fortified structures.

Flight Performance: With a maximum take-off weight of 45 kg, the drone boasts a flight time of 25-30 minutes without payload and can operate within a 3-5 km range from its control station. It is capable of flying at altitudes up to 2,800 metres above sea level and 400 metres above ground level.

Real-Time Intelligence: The Songar transmits live video and telemetry data to operators, enabling real-time surveillance, target acquisition, and post-operation analysis. It is equipped with both daylight and infrared cameras, ensuring all-weather, day-and-night capabilities.

Autonomous Features: The system supports pre-planned flight paths, autonomous missions, and an automatic return-to-base function if communication is lost or the battery runs low, thus reducing operator burden and improving mission survivability.

Swarm Functionality: Songar drones can operate in synchronised groups, executing multi-directional attacks simultaneously-a tactic employed during the 8 May assault to overwhelm defences.

Should India be worried?

The Songar's combination of firepower, autonomy, and swarm capabilities makes it a formidable asset in modern warfare.

Pakistan's deployment of these drones in substantial numbers signifies a major escalation in drone warfare within the subcontinent.

Nevertheless, India's multi-layered air defence network-featuring systems such as Akash, MRSAM, and S-400-proved highly effective, intercepting the threat and underlining the continuing technological arms race in the region.