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THURSDAY, Techjuice exclusive news: The Pakistan Army reported shooting down multiple Indian drones that crossed the border earlier today, predominantly in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. Among speculations of the use of drones and where Indian army obtained these UAVs from, some speculate that India might be using Israeli technology, particularly their famous Harop drones, experts revealed exclusively to TechJuice.
It must be noted that Harop drone is a loitering munition system developed by the MBT Missiles Division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) between 2001 and 2003.
Acquisition and Induction
In February 2019, the Indian Ministry of Defence approved the purchase of 54 Harop systems for approximately $100 million, adding to an existing fleet of around 110 units acquired since 2009 and renamed “P-4” drones by the Indian Air Force. India initially negotiated for eight to ten Harop launchers in 2007 and publicly unveiled the system at Aero India 2009, demonstrating early interest in loitering munition technology.
By late 2024, all procured Harop drones had been delivered and underwent final integration tests at IAF bases in Rajasthan and Uttarakhand
Deployment
Harop drones have been operationally deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Ladakh and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan in Jammu & Kashmir since mid-2024, providing “find-fix-finish” strike options against hard-to-reach militant positions and forward observation posts.
Escalating Pakistan-India Tensions
Among the drone parts that have been recovered so far, some of them show eerily similar features those of the Israeli-made Harop drones. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that India launched a fresh wave of drone incursions into Pakistan, targeting several urban centers and resulting in civilian casualties.
“These provocative actions by India are a clear violation of international norms and a threat to regional peace,” Director General ISPR said in a press conference. “India is continuously sending drones to Pakistan, all of which have been shot down.”
TechJuice obtained the following exclusive images:
As tensions persist along the Indo-Pak border, these drones are a central arsenal item for India to broaden its strategy of unmanned aerial dominance and to do rapid, data-driven decisions while targeting.
Reports suggest that one of these Israel-manufactured Indian drones partially engaged a military target in Lahore, injuring four Pakistan Army officials. Some minor damage to military equipment was also reported. In another drone strike, a shopkeeper lost his life in Rawalpindi. There have been 25 drones intercepted as of writing this article.
