Jammu, January 17
Pakistan has moved 12 of its 24 Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) out of the Mianwali airbase in Sialkot to an undisclosed destination to avoid detection by spy satellites and instead ferried in F-7 planes loaded with airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) during the past 72 hours.
Highly-placed security sources said here this afternoon that of the 24 drones which Pakistan had, about 12 were loaded in huge green-yellow-shaded trailers and whisked off to an undisclosed destination, “apparently to avoid their detection by spy satellites.”
These Pakistani spy planes remained grounded due to want of spare parts, which the country was unable to procure from China. China had supplied these drones to Pakistan in 1998.
Two of the remaining 12 operational planes were sent on spying sorties over the Nowshera sector about a week ago but hurried back in the wake of heavy Indian troop deployment along the Line of Control (LoC) in the area.
According to reports, high-resolution cameras installed in these drones are not serving their purpose.
The Pakistan Air Force has flown in F-7 aircraft from somewhere in the western part to Mianwali. According to reports, these F-7 aircraft are carrying airborne warning and control systems.
There are also reports of fresh mobilisation among the 10 Corps of Pakistan, which is a “Strike Corps”, across the LoC and additional commandos of the Special Services Group (SSG) have been deployed to ensure the logistics of the corps “during an exigency situation.”
The forward bunkers of the Pakistani Regulars were being fortified to withstand heavy firing. Since the past two weeks, SSG personnel are being increasingly deployed to man the watch towers.
UNI
