Pakistan military unveils first domestically produced drones

Pakistan's military has unveiled two domestically produced drones, even as the country is facing growing protests over US drone strikes on Pakistani soil.

After years of preparation, the "strategically unmanned aerial vehicles" were formally announced on Monday by military chief General Ashfaq Kayani.

The drones, called Burraq and Shahpar, will not be armed and are to be used only for surveillance, military officials said. The development of the aircraft, believed to have a range of about 120 kilometres, represents a significant milestone for the country's military and scientists, Pakistani and Western analysts said.

"It is a landmark and a historic event, wherein a very effective force multiplier has been added to the inventory of the armed forces," the military said.

For years, Pakistan's military has seen up-close the effectiveness of the United States' drone campaign, which has included hundreds of strikes within their borders. When the United States began using armed drones after the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York, then-Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf asked President George W. Bush to supply the technology to his country.

The United States declined, setting in motion the nuclear-armed nation's homegrown effort to develop the capability.