Air system · Developmental MALE UCAV
Shahpar III
ISR / Proposed Armed and Maritime Missions
Also known as: Shahpar-III / Shahpar-3 / GIDS Shahpar III
Shahpar III overview
Last reviewed:
Shahpar III is Pakistan's larger medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aircraft, developed within NESCOM's industrial ecosystem and marketed by Global Industrial & Defence Solutions, or GIDS. It is a distinct successor to the smaller Shahpar and Shahpar II rather than a new name for an aircraft already in service. GIDS describes a Group 4+ platform intended for intelligence collection, target acquisition and armed missions, with additional electronic-surveillance and maritime options. The reviewed 2026 reporting still places it before a publicly confirmed first flight.
The current GIDS product listing gives a 64 ft wingspan, approximately 19.5 m, and a 170 hp heavy-fuel engine. Advertised endurance is 30 hours in the surveillance configuration and 16 hours when armed; ceilings are 30,000 ft and 28,000 ft respectively. Those are configuration-specific manufacturer claims. Earlier exhibition material quoted longer endurance and higher ceilings, so this profile uses the current listing rather than combining earlier aspirations with the newer payload figures. GIDS does not publish a current length or maximum speed on that product sheet.
The manufacturer lists internal payload capacity of 165 kg for ISR or 75 kg in the armed configuration, plus an external capacity of 400 kg across six wing stations and one centerline station. The individual hardpoint ratings are not all simultaneously usable at their maximum values. Payload, fuel, stores and flight performance remain interdependent, and a diagram showing a possible weapon does not prove that it has been flight-qualified or released from this aircraft. The 400 kg external figure is likewise not the aircraft's takeoff weight; secondary reporting places the aircraft around the 1.6–1.65 tonne class.
GIDS advertises electro-optical/infrared imaging, synthetic-aperture radar, communications intelligence and electronic intelligence. The ground segment is described as having mission commander, pilot and sensor-operator consoles, with the ability to manage two aircraft. A dual-redundant avionics architecture, retractable landing gear, transponder, identification systems and maritime AIS are also listed. Line-of-sight datalink range is quoted at 250 km and beyond-line-of-sight at 2,500+ km, subject to satellite availability. These are communications claims, not independently established combat radii or a guarantee of continuous coverage.
The public milestone sequence begins with the November 2024 IDEAS exhibition in Karachi and continues with IDEX 2025 international marketing. At World Defense Show 2026, industry representatives described a first-flight target before the end of that year. This conflicts with unsourced or repeated claims that the aircraft first flew in 2023; the later explicit pre-flight announcement is the stronger basis for this profile. As of October 24, no first-flight confirmation was found in the reviewed source set, and a calendar target must not be written as an accomplished test.
GIDS presents an integrated aircraft, weapons, sensors and ground-control offering, which could appeal to buyers seeking one supplier for a complete mission system. Marketing options include Burq guided weapons, stand-off munitions and maritime payloads, but the public record does not show that every proposed combination has been qualified. Pakistan is the home market, not a confirmed operational operator merely because the program is domestic. Through this review, the correct status is a publicly exhibited development aircraft with revised manufacturer specifications, an announced flight-test target and no verified operational fleet or export delivery.
Armament
Proposed Burq guided weapons and stand-off/maritime stores across 6 wing + 1 centerline stations; completed flight qualification not verified
Development and operational timeline
- GIDS publicly unveils Shahpar III and proposed stand-off weapons at IDEAS in Karachi
- Aircraft is marketed to international delegations at IDEX 2025; an exhibition is not an operational delivery
- At World Defense Show, industry representatives state a first-flight target before the end of 2026, not a completed first flight
- Editorial status review: revised GIDS specifications replace older claims; no first flight, service entry or export delivery confirmed in the reviewed evidence, and the year-end target remains prospective