SOURCE: AFI
Over the past four days, from May 11 to May 14, 2025, the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict has exposed a glaring absence of Pakistan’s much-touted Baykar unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), such as the TB2 Bayraktar and Akinci, on the frontline. Despite years of claims from Pakistani defense enthusiasts—often dubbed “fanboys”—that Pakistan boasts “the most extensive UCAV fleet in South Asia,” not a single TB2 or Akinci has been spotted in action. Meanwhile, Indian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been providing live footage of Indian Air Force (IAF) strikes, showcasing India’s dominance in aerial reconnaissance and combat operations.
Pakistan’s acquisition of Turkish-made Baykar UCAVs, particularly the TB2 and the more advanced Akinci, was heralded as a game-changer for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The TB2, known for its success in conflicts like Nagorno-Karabakh, has a proven track record of precision strikes and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, with an endurance of up to 27 hours and a payload capacity for laser-guided munitions. The Akinci, a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UCAV, can carry heavier payloads, including air-to-air missiles, and operate at altitudes of up to 40,000 feet. Between 2022 and 2024, Pakistan reportedly inducted 12–18 TB2s and a smaller number of Akinci drones, aiming to bolster its aerial capabilities against India.
However, during the current conflict, these platforms have been conspicuously absent. Indian UAVs, including imported systems like the Heron TP, have been actively feeding real-time intelligence to IAF jets, enabling precise strikes on Pakistani targets. Footage released by the IAF shows Indian UAVs capturing live feeds of Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and Rafale jets conducting airstrikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with no sign of Pakistani UCAVs attempting to counter or engage.
This absence has sparked widespread mockery on social media and defense forums, where Pakistani claims of UCAV superiority are being openly ridiculed. For years, Pakistani defense circles boasted that their Baykar fleet would dominate any conflict with India, often citing the TB2’s low radar cross-section and the Akinci’s ability to deploy advanced munitions like the SOM cruise missile. Yet, as one X user quipped, “Where are the ‘most extensive UCAVs in South Asia’ now? Hiding in hangars while Indian drones run the show.” Another post mockingly suggested, “Maybe the TB2s are on a sightseeing tour in Balochistan instead of the frontline.”
Several factors could explain Pakistan’s reluctance to deploy its UCAVs. India’s advanced air defense systems, such as the S-400 ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ and the indigenous Akash, pose a significant threat to slow-moving, low-altitude drones like the TB2, which typically operate at 18,000 feet—well within the engagement envelope of these systems. The Akinci, while capable of higher altitudes, remains vulnerable to India’s Rafale jets equipped with long-range Meteor missiles and the IAF’s integrated air defense network. Additionally, India’s electronic warfare (EW) capabilities, which recently jammed the datalink of Pakistan’s PL-15E missiles, may have deterred Pakistan from risking its UCAVs, fearing disruption of their command-and-control links.
The IAF’s dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum could also be a factor. Indian EW systems, such as the DRDO-developed D4 anti-drone system, have already proven their effectiveness by neutralizing Turkish-supplied drones in earlier skirmishes. The D4’s ability to jam RF and GNSS signals likely poses a lethal threat to Pakistan’s UCAVs, which rely heavily on satellite navigation and datalinks for operation. Facing the risk of losing these high-value assets to India’s multi-layered defenses, Pakistan may have opted to keep its UCAVs grounded.
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