As a part of its showcase for the particular occasion commemorating the 14th of August, the Pakistan Air Pressure (PAF) showcased what seemed to be a drone or loitering munition known as the “Al-Murtajiz.”
The mock-up was not accompanied by any specs, although PAF personnel advised Quwa’s on-site correspondent that Al-Murtajiz was a ground-launched drone designed for a number of functions, together with point-interception in opposition to air-to-surface munitions – together with subsonic cruise missiles – and kamikaze strike operations. General, the PAF personnel on the occasion weren’t at liberty to elaborate, nevertheless, and the Al-Murtajiz mannequin was faraway from the show.
One might solely speculate, however a cursory examination of the show signifies that the mannequin was principally a low-fidelity mock-up. The mannequin showcased an air inlet, indicating that it could use a miniature turbojet engine for propulsion, flip-out narrow-chord wings, and low-observable (LO) airframe design.
In Quwa’s evaluation, the Al-Murtajiz mannequin proven on the occasion was probably a illustration of the PAF’s broader manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) initiative. MUM-T is basically a time period explaining the brand new doctrine of executing fight operations utilizing each manned and unmanned fight property, leveraging or drawing out the strengths of every to maximise general fight effectiveness. For instance, underneath MUM-T, one might use drones to enter high-risk environments laden with dense enemy air defence methods as a strategy to take up losses (from enemy surface-to-air missile hearth) earlier than crewed fighters attain the neighborhood (or fully negate the necessity of sending these fighters deep into enemy territory in any respect).
The PAF each formally and unofficially confirmed that it was working in direction of constructing a MUM-T functionality, and this was to be anticipated seeing it’s the common development of all different main air arms.
In an evaluation from March 2025 on the PAF’s MUM-T work, Quwa said:
A number of components will drive the PAF to develop its UAS fleet into jet-powered UCAVs of varied dimension and functionality lessons.
First, there’s – or quickly can be – an precise requirement. “Second to None,” a semi-official publication of the PAF, said that the PAF’s future UAS imaginative and prescient includes utilizing drones for air-to-air operations, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), and “stealth operations.” The latter will contain drones, together with high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) “stealth UAS with strike capabilities.”
Second, it’s the most economical strategy to develop air energy, particularly when it comes to offensive warfighting functionality. It isn’t possible to completely depend on crewed next-generation fighter plane (NGFA). The truth is, the rising development throughout different main air forces is to make use of crewed NGFAs as a focal node that may handle UCAVs in built-in air operations. This is identical mannequin that the PAF’s main vendor, i.e., China, is constructing in direction of; it’s unlikely that the PAF will deviate from this core methodology.
Relating to the Al-Murtajiz; whereas it’s unclear if this particular design will materialize, its presence on the occasion confirms that the PAF is now actively in search of a multipurpose drone able to decoy, loitering munitions, and particular mission – e.g., digital countermeasures (ECM) – operations.
Trying carefully, one will discover that the PAF is nurturing the important thing substances of a MUM-T functionality in clear, sequential style: small ‘good munitions’, loitering munitions, and, now, apparently a decoy drone. In an earlier evaluation, Quwa said that a decoy drone was probably on the event roadmap, and, crucially, it could be the following pure step from the work the PAF had already finished up thus far.
The PAF’s entry into next-generation MUM-T might contain the acquisition – or, probably, the event – of jet-powered attritable decoy drones. Following loitering munitions, decoy drones would probably be the lightest and lowest value items of a future MUM-T deployment.
Curiously, there seems to be a sequential order to how MUM-T is being developed in different elements of the world, together with the West. It begins with a ‘good munitions’ stack that leans on small light-weight cruise missiles and/or glide bombs.
