MQ-1 Predator UAS: A MQ-1B Predator aircraft from the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron takes off in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom June 12, 2008. Since January 2008, more than 1,000 Predator sorties were flown out of Balad, lasting more than 20,000 hours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter/Released)Why Pakistan Cannot Have Predators -- Strategy Page
For years, Pakistan has pressured the U.S. to sell (or give) them Predator UAVs. The Americans refused, at first quietly, but now openly. The U.S. has offered three units of the smaller (160 kg) Shadow 200 models. These are widely used by the U.S. Army, but are not large enough to carry 45 kg Hellfire missiles, like the one ton Predator does. The U.S. doesn't want Pakistan to have Predator/Hellfire partly to keep the technology away from China, partly to keep the systems from being used to kill tribal leaders the U.S. does not consider hostile. The U.S. also fears Pakistan would use Predators against India. Above all, these UAVs are in big demand by American and NATO forces, who have priority.
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My Comment: The key section in this post is the following ....
The U.S. doesn't want Pakistan to have Predator/Hellfire partly to keep the technology away from China, partly to keep the systems from being used to kill tribal leaders the U.S. does not consider hostile. The U.S. also fears Pakistan would use Predators against India. Above all, these UAVs are in big demand by American and NATO forces, who have priority.
The Pakistanis are also prone to corruption, and giving them missile armed Predators would encourage Taliban and tribal leaders to offer money, or cooperation, to avoid a Hellfire missile. You can't bribe the Americans, which is what really annoys many Pakistanis. What also annoys Pakistanis is the Americans constantly pointing out that Islamic terrorists are killing far more Pakistanis than the Indian armed forces, and the two countries have not fought a war for over 30 years. Yet Pakistan still keeps most of its security forces aimed at India, while India pays more attention to the Chinese threat.
In short .... U.S. concerns and fears of what Pakistan will do with this military hardware comes from years of experience and first hand knowledge. Lets face it .... if Pakistan is willing to trade nuclear secrets, they will have no trouble in trading U.S. Predator secrets.