Pakistan’s development of a new long-range drone capable of travelling up to 3,000 kilometres has drawn attention to the country’s growing unmanned aerial warfare capabilities.
Senior Pakistani analyst Mansoor Ali Khan, while discussing the matter on his podcast, referred to a video by US-based journalist Mario Nawfal, who claimed that Pakistan had developed a new drone identified as the D-248.
According to the claims shared in the video, the drone has a range of up to 3,000 kilometres and can carry between 30 and 50 kilograms of explosive payload.
However, the specifications and the existence of the D-248 have not been independently verified through an official announcement from Pakistani authorities.
Reportedly similar to Iran’s Shahed drones
Mario Nawfal reportedly compared the alleged D-248 drone with Iran’s Shahed series of one-way attack drones.
Such systems are commonly described as loitering munitions or one-way attack drones, designed to travel towards a designated target and detonate upon impact.
If the reported specifications prove accurate, the D-248 could represent a significant development in Pakistan’s long-range unmanned aerial capabilities.
Claims linked to regional defence cooperation
The development has also emerged amid growing defence and strategic cooperation between Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
The online claims linked the alleged drone programme with what was described as the completion of the “Makkah Agreement” between the three countries.
However, there is currently no independently verified evidence establishing a direct connection between the reported D-248 drone and any trilateral defence agreement involving Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
Growing importance of drone technology
Drone technology has become increasingly important in modern warfare, with unmanned systems now playing a central role in surveillance, reconnaissance and precision strike operations.
Pakistan has also continued to expand its indigenous unmanned aerial capabilities in recent years as drone warfare becomes increasingly significant across the world.
The emergence of the D-248 has therefore generated considerable interest. If officially confirmed, a drone with a claimed range of 3,000 kilometres and the ability to carry a significant payload could mark a major addition to Pakistan’s evolving defence capabilities.
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