Pakistan may soon have armed drones in its armoury, thanks to its all-weather ally China. Pakistan likely to get 48 Wing Loong-II drones, China’s most advanced combat capable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Flying from Pakistan’s front-line airbases, the Wing Loong-II can theoretically strike most industrial population centres in India, and many military bases. Theoretically, it will give Pakistan the ability to conduct precision strikes deep inside Indian territory. However, in a real scenario, penetrating India’s defences will be a challenge for those drones. They will be easy targets for India’s air defence systems. So the procurement of these drones by Pakistan is unlikely to have a significant bearing on India’s security.