Pakistan to get 48 China military drones

China will sell 48 high-end military drones to its "all-weather ally" Pakistan in what a military observer said would be the largest deal of its kind, says The Indian Express quoting official media reports on Tuesday.

The cost of the deal was not revealed.

Wing Loong II, a high-end reconnaissance, strike and multi-role endurance unmanned aircraft system, is manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Company.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) will also be jointly manufactured, state-run Global Times reported.

China, an "all-weather ally" of Islamabad, is the largest supplier of weapon system to the Pakistan Army. Both the countries also jointly manufacture JF-Thunder a single engine multi-role combat aircraft.

The announcement by China to permit the sale of high-end military drones comes in the immediate backdrop of India's move to acquire S-400 sophisticated missile defence systems from Russia. The deal was clinched during last week's visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to New Delhi.

According to The Hindustan Times, Pakistan successfully test-fired on Monday its Ghauri ballistic missile which is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads up to a distance of 1,300 kilometres, bringing many Indian cities under its range.

The launch was conducted by Army Strategic Forces Command and was aimed at testing the operational and technical readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command, said the Inter Services Public Relations, the media wing of the army.