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Pakistan Army Uses Fishing Nets to Counter Growing Drone Threat
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Moneycontrol•06-10-2026, 15:04
Pakistan Army Uses Fishing Nets to Counter Growing Drone Threat
- •Military and police checkpoints near the Afghan border are being covered with fishing nets to protect personnel from armed drone attacks.
- •The unusual defense measure comes amid a surge in attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan using modified commercial quadcopters.
- •While anti-drone systems cost between five thousand and five million dollars, covering a checkpoint with fishing nets costs roughly fourteen hundred dollars.
- •Defense experts and officials acknowledge that the nets are not a foolproof solution and may not stop drones targeting prominent locations.
- •The TTP established a dedicated drone unit in late 2025 and has reportedly used motorcycle batteries to extend drone flight times.
Key Questions Answered
Pakistani military and police checkpoints are installing fishing nets above vulnerable posts to protect personnel from armed drone attacks and falling explosives attributed to the TTP. The nets serve as a cheap defense mechanism designed to entangle incoming drone propellers or disperse shrapnel if a device explodes overhead.
Covering a security checkpoint with fishing nets costs approximately $1,400. In comparison, traditional anti-drone systems are significantly more expensive, ranging anywhere from $5,000 to as much as $5 million.
The fishing nets have been installed at military and police outposts across Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and Dera Ismail Khan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
