Tuesday, August 25, 2009

PAKISTAN AIR FORCE (PAF)

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (Urdu: پاک فضائیہ, Pak Fiza'ya) is the air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role to provide air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role to provide strategic air transport and logistics capability to Pakistan. The PAF has 65,000 full-time personnel (including approximately 3,000 pilots) and operates approximately 700 aircraft, including 470+ combat aircraft.

Mission statement

The primary mission statement of the PAF was given by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, during his address to the passing out cadets of the Pakistan Air Force Academy Risalpur on 13 April, 1948, and has been taken as an article of faith by all coming generations of PAF personnel:

“ A country without a strong air force is at the mercy of any aggressor, Pakistan must build up its own Air Force as quickly as possible, it must be an efficient Air Force, second to none.”

But the present scenario has required and enabled the Force to come up with an improved and up-to-date Mission Statement: "To provide, in synergy with other Armed Forces, an efficient, assured and cost-effective aerial defense of Pakistan."

History

1947–1951: The Formative Years

The Royal Pakistan Air Force (RPAF) was established on 14 August 1947 with the independence of Pakistan from British India. The RPAF began with 2,332 personnel, a fleet of 24 Tempest II fighter-bombers, 16 Hawker Typhoon fighters (also called Tempest I), two H.P.57 Halifax bombers, 2 Auster aircraft, twelve North American Harvard trainers and ten de Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes. It also got eight C-47 Dakota cargo planes which it used to transport supplies to soldiers fighting in the 1947 War in Kashmir against India. However, it allegedly never received all the planes it was alloted at the time of independence of South Asia.[2] It started with 7 operational airbases scattered all over the provinces. The prefix Royal was removed when Pakistan gained the status of Republic on 23 March 1956. It has since been called Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

Operating these inherited aircraft was far from ideal in Pakistan's diverse terrains, deserts and mountains; frequent attrition and injuries did not make the situation any better. However, by 1948 the air force acquired better aircraft such as the Hawker Sea Fury fighter-bomber and the Bristol Freighter. These new aircraft gave a much-needed boost to the morale and combat capability of the Pakistan Air Force; 93 Hawker Fury and roughly 50-70 Bristol Freighter aircraft were inducted into the PAF by 1950

1951–1961: PAF enters the Jet Age

Although the Pakistan Air Force had little funds to use and markets to choose from, it entered the jet age quite early. Initially it had planned to acquire US-built F-94Cs, F-86s, or F-84s and produce its order in Pakistan. However, lack of funds and strong British pressure persuaded the PAF to acquire the British Supermarine Attacker. The first squadron equipped with these aircraft was the Number-11 "Arrow". The Supermarine Attacker had a rather unsatisfactory service in the Pakistan Air Force with frequent attrition and maintenance problems. In 1957 the Pakistan Air Force received 100 American-built F-86 Sabres under the U.S. aid program. Squadron after squadron in the PAF retired its Hawker Furys and Supermarine Attackers, and replaced them with F-86 jet fighters. In 1957 thirty-six year old Air Marshal Asghar Khan became the Pakistan Air Force's first commander-in-chief.

1959: IAF Crosses International Boundary

On 10 April 1959, on the occasion of the Islamic Eid festival holiday in Pakistan, an Indian Air Force (IAF) English Electric Canberra B(I)58 intruded into Pakistani airspace on a photo reconnaissance mission. Two PAF F-86F Sabres from No. 15 Squadron on Air Defence Alert (ADA) were scrambled from Peshawar Air Base to intercept the IAF intruder. The Sabre pilots were Flt. Lt. M. N. Butt (leader) and Flt. Lt. M. Yunus (wingman) whereas Pilot Officer Rab Nawaz was the on-duty Air Defence Controller for this mission. Nawaz successfully vectored both Sabres to the location of the high-flying Canberra. Butt attempted to bring down the Canberra by firing his Sabre's machine guns but the Canberra was flying at an altitude of more than 50,000 feet - beyond the operational ceiling of the F-86F. When Yunus took over from his leader, the Canberra suddenly lost height while executing a turn over Rawalpindi. Yunus grabbed this opportunity and fired a burst from his 12.7 mm guns that struck the Canberra at an altitude of 47,500 feet and brought it down over Rawat, near Rawalpindi. Thus, PAF drew 'first blood' against the IAF. '55-5005' was the serial number of the F-86F Sabre that was flown by Flt. Lt. Yunus that day. Both the occupants of the IAF Canberra, namely Sqn. Ldr. J.C. Sen Gupta (pilot) and Flt. Lt. S.N. Rampal (navigator) from the IAF's No. 106 Sqn., ejected and were taken prisoner by Pakistani authorities and were subsequently released after remaining in detention for some time

1965 India-Pakistan Rann of Kutch Border Skirmish

In June 1965, prior to the outbreak of the 1965 India-Pakistan War, India and Pakistan had a border skirmish in the Rann of Kutch region near the south-eastern coastline of Pakistan. The PAF was tasked with providing point-defence to the Rann of Kutch region to prevent the Indian Air Force (IAF) from intruding into Pakistani airspace and attacking Pakistan Army positions. On 24 June 1965, an IAF Gnat fighter (Serial No. IC 698), flown by Flt. Lt. Rana Lal Chand Sikka of No. 51 Auxiliary Squadron from the IAF's Jamnagar Air Station,who rose up to be an air marshall, intruded into Pakistani airspace. A PAF F-104A Starfighter from No. 9 Squadron which was retreating from an aborted mission saw the Gnat flying in Pakistani airspace and intercepted the IAF Gnat near Badin in Sindh, Pakistan. Just as the PAF pilot locked on to the Indian fighter and was about to release his AIM-9B Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missile (AAM), much to the surprise and amusement of the PAF pilot, the Indian pilot lowered his aircraft's landing gear (an internationally-recognized sign of aerial surrender). The IAF pilot landed at an open field near Jangshahi village near Badin. The IAF pilot was taken prisoner and released on 14 August 1965 - as a goodwill gesture on the 18th Anniversary of Pakistan's Independence Day - minus the IAF Gnat fighter, which was retained by the PAF as a trophy and flown by a PAF pilot to an airbase in Karachi. Today, the IAF Ouragaon is on display at the PAF Museum in karachi

1965 India-Pakistan War

In spite of the acquisition of a number of modern fighter jets from the United States, such as F-86 and F-104, the PAF, could not establish qualitative superiority over the Indian Air Force (IAF). Some Western observers noted that PAF pilots found the F-104 extremely difficult to handle because of which they weren't as effective as IAF's Folland Gnat.[8] The F-86F performed reasonably well over IAF's Hawker Hunters but had trouble in dealing with the Gnats, which earned the nickname Sabre Slayers.[9][10] The PAF, however, was able to inflict heavy losses on the Indians when it launched a preemptive strike and caught IAF's air bases by surprise.[11]

By the time the conflict ended, the PAF lost about 18-43 aircraft while the IAF

Muhammad Mahmood Alam downed
5 Indian aircraft
in less than a minute

1967 Arab-Israeli 'Six-Day' War

After the 1965 India-Pakistan War, some Arab countries requested Pakistan to depute some its pilots to their air forces.[citation needed]. Consequently, a small batch of PAF pilots were deputed to the air forces of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. When the Arab-Israeli 'Six-Day' War broke out in 1967, these PAF pilots on deputation were requested by their host countries to participate in defensive combat operations.[citation needed]

On 5 June 1967, PAF pilot Flt. Lt. Saiful Azam, on deputation to the joint command of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) and the Iraqi Air Force, was flying a defensive combat air patrol (CAP) over Jordan in an RJAF Hawker Hunter from Mafrak Air Base in Jordan. He was accompanied by 3 other RJAF Hunters. Their formation was informed by the ground controller of the presence of 6 Israeli Air Force IDF/AF Super Mysteres B-2s, which had crossed into Jordanian airspace. The 4 RJAF Hunters engaged the 6 IDF/AF Super Mysteres and Flt. Lt. Saiful Azam shot down an IDF/AF Super Mystere using the Hunter's 30 mm guns.[citation needed] With this kill, PAF pilots drew first blood against the IDF/AF. In this engagement, the Jordanians suffered no losses.

Two days later, in the morning of 7 June 1967, Flt. Lt. Saiful Azam. this time on deputation to the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF) was flying a defensive CAP in an IrAF Hawker Hunter (S. No. 702) over western Iraq from H3 Air Base in a formation of 4 IrAF Hunters. Ground controllers notified their formation of a formation of 8 Israeli aircraft - 4 IDF/AF Mirage IIICJs and IDF/AF 4 Vatour IIN Bombers - that had crossed into Iraqi airspace. The IrAF formation immediately engaged the Israeli aircraft and in the ensuing dogfight Flt. Lt. Saiful Azam shot down one IDF/AF Mirage IIICJ (Serial No. 6660) and one IDF/AF Vatour IIN Bomber with his Hunter's 30 mm guns. The M.IIICJ pilot was Gideon Dror, IAF, who ejected and was taken POW, while Vatour IIN bomber was the IDF/AF Vatour flight leader. In this engagement, the Iraqi Air Force suffered no loss.[citation needed]

RJAF and IrAF were flying under a joint command. Flt. Lt. S. Azam became the only pilot from the Arab side to have shot down 3 IDF/IAF aircraft within 72 hours and also the only pilot to have shot down 3 different aircraft types of the IDF/IAF. He was, subsequently, decorated by Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan

1971 India-Pakistan War

In December 1971, India and Pakistan went to war over erstwhile East Pakistan. On November 22, 10 days before the start of a full-scale hostilities, four Pakistani Air Force F-86 Sabre jets attacked Indian and Mukti Bahini positions near the Indian-Bangladeshi border in the Battle of Garibpur, and hostilities commenced. In what became the first ever dogfight over Bangladeshi skies, three of the 4 PAF Sabres were shot down by IAF Gnats. December 3 saw the formal declaration of war following massive preemptive strikes by the Pakistan Air Force against Indian Air Force installations in the west. The PAF targets were Indian bases in Srinagar, Ambala, Sirsa, Halwara and Jodhpur on the lines of Israeli Operation Focus. But the plan failed as the Indians had anticipated such a move and no major losses were suffered by the Indians.After the IAF retaliated, the PAF carried out more defensive sorties.

As the war progressed, the Indian Air Force continued to battle the PAF over conflict zones, but the number of sorties flown by the PAF gradually decreased day-by-day.The lack of coordination between Pakistan's air force and army was evident during the Battle of Longewala when the PAF was unable to come to aid the ground forces despite repeated requests by the Pakistan Army.The PAF did not intervene during the Indian Navy's raid on Karachi, a Pakistani naval port city. Some sources state that a commander decided it was the task of the Pakistan Navy alone to defend Karachi.

At the end of the war, the Indian Air Force claimed it had shot down 94 PAF aircraft, including 54 F-86 Sabres.According to some sources, the overall attrition rate (losses per 100 sorties) was 0.48 for the IAF and 1.42 for the PAF,the PAF flying 2914 combat sorties while the IAF flew 7,346 combat sortiesduring the conflict.According to a PAF officer, 61.5% of PAF's sorties were defensive while 65.5% of IAF's sorties were offensive.

A later image of types that participated
in one of the PAF's first strikes,
codenamed Operation Chengiz Khan onIndian
airfields in the North Western Sector,
during the 1971 war.

1973 Arab-Israeli 'Ramadhan/Yom Kippur' War

During the war 16 PAF pilots volunteered to go to the Middle East in order to support Egypt and Syria but by the time they arrived, Egypt had already been pushed into a ceasefire. Syria remained in a state of war against Israel.

On 23 October 1973, PAF pilot Flt. Lt. M. Hatif on deputation to Egyptian Air Force (EAF) was flying a EAF MiG-21 in a defensive combat air patrol (CAP) over Egypt when he was vectored towards an intruding Israeli Air Force (IDF/AF) F-4 Phantom. In the ensuing dogfight, Flt. Lt. M. Hatif shot down the Israeli Phantom.[25]

Eight (8) PAF pilots started flying out of Syrian Airbases; they formed the A-flight of 67 Squadron at Dumayr Airbase. The Pakistani pilots flew Syrian MiG-21 aircraft conducting CAP missions for the Syrians.

On 26 April 1974, PAF pilot Flt. Lt. Sattar Alvi on deputation to No. 67 Squadron, Syrian Air Force (SAF) was flying a SAF MiG-21FL Fishbed (Serial No. 1863) out of Dumayr Air Base, Syria in a two-ship formation with a fellow PAF pilot and the Flight Leader, Sqn. Ldr. Arif Manzoor. The Ground Controller, also a PAF officer, Sqn. Ldr. Salim Metla, vectored the two PAF pilots to a formation of 2 Israeli Air Force Mirage IIICJs and 2 F-4 Phantoms that had intruded into Syrian airspace over the Golan Heights. In the engagement that took place at 1532 hours, Flt. Lt. Sattar Alvi shot down an Israeli Mirage IIICJ using his MiG-21's R(K)-13 Air-to-Air Missile. The pilot of the downed Israeli Mirage was Capt. M. Lutz of No. 5 Air Wing, who ejected. The remaining Israeli fighters aborted the mission. The 2 IAF Mirage IIICJs were from Hatzor AFB and the 2 IAF F-4 Phantoms were from No. 1 Air Wing, Ramat David AFB, Israel.

Flt. Lt. A. Sattar Alvi became the first Pakistani pilot, during the Yom Kippur War, to shoot down an Israeli Mirage in air combat.He was honored by the Syrian government.[28] Other aerial encounters involved Israeli F-4 Phantoms; Pakistan Air Force did not lose a single pilot or aircraft during this war. The Pakistani pilots stayed on in Syria until 1976, training Syrian pilots in the art of air warfare

1979–1988 Soviet-Afghan War

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 in support of the pro-Soviet government in Kabul, which was being hard-pressed by Mujahadeen rebel forces, marked the start of a decade-long occupation. Mujahadeen rebels continued to harass the occupying Soviet military force as well as the forces of the Afghan regime that it was supporting. The war soon spilled over into neighbouring Pakistan, with a horde of refugees fleeing to camps across the border in an attempt to escape the conflict. In addition, many of the rebels used Pakistan as a sanctuary from which to carry out forays into Afghanistan, and a steady flow of US-supplied arms was carried into Afghanistan from staging areas in Pakistan near the border. This inevitably resulted in border violations by Soviet and Afghan aircraft attempting to interdict these operations.

Between May 1986 and November 1988, PAF F-16s have shot down at least eight intruders from Afghanistan. The first three of these (one Su-22, one probable Su-22, and one An-26) were shot down by two pilots from No. 9 Squadron. Pilots of No. 14 Squadron destroyed the remaining five intruders (two Su-22s, two MiG-23s, and one Su-25). Most of these kills were by the AIM-9 Sidewinder, but at least one (a Su-22) was destroyed by cannon fire. Flight Lieutenant Khalid Mahmood is credited with three of these kills. At least one F-16 was lost in these battles, this one in an encounter between two F-16s and six Afghan Air Force aircraft on April 29, 1987. However, the lost F-16 appears to have been an 'own goal', having been hit by a Sidewinder fired by the other F-16. The unfortunate F-16 pilot (Flight Lieutenant Shahid Sikandar Khan) ejected safely.

1983: The New Generation of Aircraft

In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The violent Soviet invasion brought hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees to Pakistan. With the war being critical to Pakistan's national sovereignty and integrity, the PAF once again sought out modernization, including the procurement of new generation fighter aircraft. France offered its new Mirage 2000, while the PAF's senior officers were interested in procuring American F-16 or F-18L fighters. Initially the Americans refused to sell the F-16 or F-18L and instead offered F-20, F-5E/F or A-10 aircraft. Eventually the new Republican administration of Ronald Reagan approved the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, and in 1981 an agreement was made to supply 34 General Dynamics F-16A and 12 F-16B "Fighting Falcon" aircraft to the Pakistan Air Force.

The F-16s were delivered under the "Peace Gate" Foreign Military Sales Program; the first six were delivered in 1983 under "Peace Gate-I" while the remaining 34 arrived by 1986, under the "Peace Gate-II" program. Between 1986 and 1988 Pakistani F-16s took part in frequent skirmishes with Soviet and Afghan aircraft.[citation needed]

Pakistani F-16s typically carry two all-aspect AIM-9Ls on the wingtip rails, along with a pair of AIM-9Ps on the outermost underwing racks. The F-16s also have an important strike role for which they are fitted with the French-built Thomson-CSF ATLIS laser designation pod and have the capability to deliver Paveway laser-guided bombs[citation needed]. The ATLIS was first fitted to Pakistani F-16s in January 1986, which became the first non-European aircraft to be qualified for the ATLIS pod.

During the late 1980s, the Pakistan Air Force's Air Defence system also underwent modernization, including the induction and integration of new land-based AN/TPS-47 radars and new Crotale Surface-to-air missiles. Attempts to acquire a new AWACS aircraft were also made - with the E-3 Sentry being desired, but the U.S. would not sell it and instead offered the E-2 Hawkeye.

In 1988 the Pakistan Air Force sought to replace its F-6s and Mirages by 1997 with the procurement of new aircraft; initially a mix of Mirage 2000 and F-16A/B Block-15OCU were to be acquired alongside 90 or so F-7 (Chinese MiG-21). However in 1988 the death of Zia-ul-Haq and Soviet disengagement from Afghanistan reduced Pakistan's value as an US ally and sanctions were put in place by US authorities quoting a suspected nuclear program. Since 2002 the F-6 has been phased out of Pakistan Air Force and the last flight and farewell ceremony to the F-6 aircraft was held at Pakistan Air Force Base Samungli (Quetta Baluchistan), Wing Commander Arif had the honour of flying the last sortie of the F-6 aircraft in the presence of PAF Chief and Chinese Air Force high officials.
Pakistan has ordered a total of 111 F-16A/B aircraft. Of these, 71 were embargoed by the US due to Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. Of these 71, 28 were actually built but were flown directly to the AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB for storage.

Over the years, various plans were conceived for these 28 aircraft: Pakistan wanted to get the aircraft or their money back; they were offered to various nations, none of which were interested; ultimately, the US Navy and USAF entered them into service as aggressor aircraft.

After Pakistan's help in the war on terror, the US lifted the embargo. In 2005, Pakistan requested 24 new Block 50/52 F-16C/Ds (with option for as much as 55 aircraft). At this moment, it is still debated in the US wether these aircraft will be delivered.

1990–2001: The Lost Decade

From 1990 Pakistan was hit by U.S. military embargoes (see Pressler amendment) in response to Pakistan's nuclear weapons development; these embargoes prevented the Pakistan Air Force from receiving the 71 F-16s ordered from the U.S., including the 28 that had been built. The U.S. military put these into storage at AMARC.

Now desperate for a new high-tech combat aircraft, between late 1990 and 1993 the PAF evaluated the European Panavia Tornado MRCA (multi-role combat aircraft) and rejected it. The Mirage 2000E and an offer from Poland for the supply of MiG-29 and Su-27 were also considered but nothing materialised. In 1992 the PAF again looked at the Mirage 2000, reviving a proposal from the early 1980s to procure around 20-40 aircraft, but again a sale did not occur because France did not want to sell a fully-capable version due to political reasons. In August 1994 the PAF was offered the Saab JAS-39 Gripen by Sweden, but again the sale did not occur because 20% of the Gripen's components were from the U.S. and Pakistan was still under U.S. sanctions.

After the 1998 nuclear tests and 1999 military coup, Pakistan was hit by further sanctions not only from the U.S. but other Western nations as well; it would not be until 2002 when the U.S. finally lifted most of the sanctions.

This situation forced Pakistan to rely heavily on China for combat aircraft, which although inexpensive, were not as capable as the latest Western aircraft Pakistan desired. To remedy the problem, Pakistan and China initiated projects to jointly develop new aircraft. The K-8 Karakorum intermediate jet trainer project was started in the late 1980s to replace the PAF's fleet of T-37 and FT-5 trainer aircraft. The JF-17 (known as FC-1 in China) light-weight multi-role combat aircraft project was started in the mid 1990s to replace PAF's fleets Mirage III/V and F-7P/PG strike and interceptor fighters.

Till date, around 400 examples of the K-8 Karakorum have been produced and it is currently serving in the air forces of Egypt and some African nations, as well as China and Pakistan. The JF-17, currently being inducted into the Pakistan Air Force, is also planned to be exported to other less wealthy countries, although it is currently unclear whether it will be inducted in large numbers by China. The JF-17 project is a major joint venture between Pakistan Air Force and China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation along with Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC).[31] The research and development costs of this project, partially financed by the government of Pakistan, is around 500 million US dollars. Estimated cost per aircraft will be around 10-20 million US dollars, depending on specifications. The first delivery of two JF-17 small batch production (SBP) aircraft took place in March 2007 for flight testing, avionics evaluation and weapons integration. Later, 6 more SBP aircraft were delivered and further deliveries are expected for operational induction of the first JF-17 squadron in mid 2009. Since January 2008, Pakistan has begun manufacturing parts and sub-assemblies for the JF-17 at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and this is to be expanded to production of 60% of the airframe.

As stop-gap solutions until new fighters arrived, the ROSE (Retrofit Of Strike Element) upgrade programme was initiated in the mid 1990s to modernise a number of Mirage III/V strike/interceptor fighters and carried on until the early 2000s. The last Shenyang F-6 were retired and replaced by around 50 new F-7PG fighters from China in 2002; the PAF were impressed by the capabilities of the F-7PG and placed an order for a further 11 aircraft. The F-7PG were fitted with Italy's FIAR (now SELEX Galileo) Grifo 7PG radar, while the F-7P fleet was upgraded with the Grifo 7 mk.II - an upgraded version of the Grifo 7.

1999 India-Pakistan Kargil Conflict

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) did not see active combat during the low-intensity Kargil Conflict between India and Pakistan during the summer of 1999 but remained on high air defence alert (ADA) and performed F-16 and F-7MP combat air patrols (CAPs) near the eastern border with India. The PAF closely monitored and tracked the IAF's movements near the Line of Control in Kashmir as well as the India-Pakistan international border. Occasionally, PAF F-16s and IAF Mirage 2000s locked on to each other across the Line of Control but did not engage.[32]

The IAF was involved in strike operations on the Line of Control and, on 37 occasions, intruded into Pakistani airspace at very low altitude, for only a few seconds and up to a few miles, thus, not giving the PAF an opportunity to shoot down any of their aircraft. Most of these intrusions were considered to be 'technical violations' relating to the layout of the Line of Control and not considered to be deliberate.

However, the Pakistan Army Air Defence, which was better positioned to tackle the low-flying IAF fighters on the Line of Control, shot down two Indian Air Force fighter-jets - a MiG-21 and MiG-27ML - on 27 May 1999 and a Mi-17 helicopter on 28 May 1999 near the Line of Control in Kashmir, the details of which are below:

On 27 May 1999, Gunner Sepoy Shafaqat Ali commanded by Capt. Faheem Tipu, Pakistan Army Air Defence shot down an IAF MiG-27ML using an ANZA-II SAM. The IAF fighter (Serial No. 1135), was flown by Flt. Lt. K. Nachiketa of No. 9 Squadron, IAF pilot who ejected and was taken prisoner. The IAF fighter was shot down after intruding into Pakistan airspace at 11:15 a.m. (PST) near Marol-Hamzi Ghund, Pakistan. Aircraft intruded into Pakistan airspace twice - it first marked a Pakistani position on the LoC with smoke bombs and then came in for a rocketing and strafing attack on the same post. It was shot down during the second attack as it exited. Wreckage fell on the Indian side of the LoC. IAF Pilot captured and made POW. Released on 4 June 1999.

Also on 27 May 1999, Naik Talib Hussain Basharat commanded by Capt. Faheem Tipu of the Pakistan Army Air Defence shot down an IAF MiG-21 using an ANZA-II SAM. The IAF fighter (Serial No. C1539) was flown by Sqn. Ldr. Ajay Ahuja of No. 17 Squadron, IAF, who was killed. The IAF fighter was shot down after intruding into Pakistan airspace at 11:35 a.m. (PST) near Marol-Hamzi Ghund, Pakistan. Aircraft was one of two IAF MiG-21s which targeted and then came in for a rocketing attack on a Pakistani post on the LoC. It was shot down while engaged in the attack at a height of 1,500 metres from ground level. Wreckage fell 10-12 kilometres inside Pakistan. Body of IAF pilot handed over to India on 29 May 1999.

On 28 May 1999, Lance Havaldar Muhammad Kamal of the Pakistan Army Air Defence shot down an IAF Mil Mi-17 Helicopter using a Stinger SAM. The crew of the IAF helicopter comprising of Flt. Lt. S. Mulihan, (Pilot); Sqn. Ldr. Rajiv Pundir (Co-pilot); Sgt. P.V.N.R. Prasad (Flt. Gunner); Sgt. Raj Kishore Sahu (Flt. Engineer) of No. 152 Helicopter Unit, IAF were all killed. The IAF helicopter was shot down after intruding into Pakistan airspace and rocketing Pakistani positions on the LoC in the Mushkoh-Drass sector. The gunship was shot down as it exited after carrying out the rocketing attack. Wreckage fell inside Indian-held Kashmir.

2001–Present: Counter Terrorism Operations

In light of Pakistan's significant contribution to the War on Terror[33][34], the United States and Western European countries, namely Germany and France, lifted their defense related sanctions on Pakistan; enabling the country to once again seek advanced Western military hardware. Since the lifting of sanctions, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) became heavily active in evaluating potential military hardware; such as new fighter planes, radars, land based air-defense systems, etc. The key factor had been the lifting of American sanctions on Pakistan; including restrictions on military combat aircraft - namely the Lockheed Martin F-16. However the urgent relief needed in Kashmir after the October 8 Earthquake forced the Pakistan Military to stall its modernization programme; so it could divert its resources for fuel and operations during the rescue effort.

The Bush administration on July 24, 2008 informed the US Congress it plans to shift nearly $230 million of $300 million in aid from counterterrorism programs to upgrading Pakistan's aging F-16s.[35] The Bush administration previously announced on June 27, 2008 it was proposing to sell Pakistan ITT Corporation's electronic warfare gear valued at up to $75 million to enhance Islamabad's existing F-16s.[36] Pakistan has asked about buying as many as 21 AN/ALQ-211(V)9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite pods, or AIDEWS, and related equipment.[37] The proposed sale will ensure that the existing fleet is "compatible" with new F-16 Block 50/52 fighters being purchased by Islamabad. Electronic warfare targets such things as radars, communications links, computer networks and advanced sensors.

The modernization stall would end in April 2006 when the Pakistani cabinet approved the Pakistan Air Force's proposal to procure 350 new fighters from the U.S. and China. The Pakistan Government has launched the Armed Forces Development Programme - 2019 (AFFDP-2019); this programme will oversee the modernization of the Pakistan Air Force from now to 2019. Some of the latest advanced combat aircraft are being sought from the US and China.[38]

PAF will be looking for additional F-16 MLU from third parties. In July 2007 Commander of Central Air Command of US Air Force Lt Gen Gary L. North, and another US Aviator flew a pair of F-16s to Pakistan for them to be handed to the Pakistan Air Force[39]. This was very extraordinary and unforeseen, because US CENTCOM commanders don't distribute jet aircraft to other partner nations. The Pakistan Air Force will consist of a variety of air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions.

On December 13, 2008, the Government of Pakistan alleges that two Indian Air Force aircraft were intercepted by the PAF kilometres within Pakistani airspace. This charge was denied by the Indian government

Awards for valor

The Nishan-e-Haider (Urdu: نشان حیدر) (Order of Ali),
is the highest military award given by Pakistan.
Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas (1951–August 20, 1971)
is the only officer of the PAF to be awarded the Nishan-e-Haider for sacrificing his life to save a plane hijacking. Other heroes of the PAF include:

Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmood Alam also known as M. M.
Alam who shot down five IAF jets in less than 5 seconds. Squadron Leader Sarfraz Rafiqui who did not leave the battle, and even with his jammed guns continued to chase an Indian Air Force pilot until finally being shot down by a Hunter aircraft, flown by the IAF.

Organization



Personnel

Air Headquarters

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman — Chief of Air Staff (CAS)
Air Marshal Hifazat Ullah Khan — Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS)
Air Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt — Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Personnel)
Air Marshal Wasimuddin — Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Administration)
Air Marshal Mohammad Hassan — Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations)
Air Vice Marshal Syed Athar Hussain Bukhari — Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Training)
Air Vice Marshal Asim Suleman — DG Air Intelligence
Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Jamshaid Khan — DG C4I
Air Vice Marshal Syed Azhar Hasan Bokhari — DG Air Force Strategic Command
Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Arif — Chief Project Director JF-17 Thunder
Air Vice Marshal Qasim Masood Khan — Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Engineering)
Air Vice Marshal Syed Razi Nawab — Inspector General Air Force
Air Vice Marshal Syed Hassan Raza — Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Support)

Commands

Air Vice Marshal Tubrez Asif — Commandant PAF Air War College
Air Vice Marshal Aftab Hussain — Air Officer Commanding, Air Defence Command (ADC)
Air Vice Marshal Sohail Gul Khan — Air Officer Commanding, Northern Air Command (NAC)
Air Vice Marshal Hafeez Ullah — Air Officer Commanding, Pakistan Air Force Academy
Air Vice Marshal Arshad Quddus — Air Officer Commanding, Southern Air Command (SAC)
Air Vice Marshal Sohail Aman — Air Officer Commanding, Central Air Command (CAC)

External billets

Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan — Chairman, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra
Air Vice Marshal Riaz-ul-Haq — Deputy DG, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
Air Vice Marshal Kamal Alam Siddiqui — Director, Precision Engineering Complex (PEC), Karachi
Air Vice Marshal Sajid Habib — DG Joint Operations, GHQ
Air Vice Marshal Najam ul Asar — Additional Secretary-II (PAF) at Ministry of Defence
Air Vice Marshal Tariq Matin — Managing Director, Technology Commercialization Corp (STEDEC) under Ministry of Science and Technology
Air Vice Marshal Zubair Iqbal Malik — DG Air Weapons Complex (AWC), Wah Cantt
Air Vice Marshal Asif Raza — DG National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Rawalpindi
Air Vice Marshal Aminullah Khan — Managing Director, Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AMF) at PAC Kamra
— DG Logistics, Joint Staff Headquarters

List of Chiefs

Main article: Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)
1.Air Vice Marshal Allan Perry-Keene (August 15, 1947 – February 17, 1949)
2.Air Vice Marshal Richard Atcherley (February 18, 1949 – May 6, 1951)
3.Air Vice Marshal Leslie William Cannon (May 7, 1951 – June 19, 1955)
4.Air Vice Marshal Arthur McDonald (June 20, 1955 – July 22, 1957)
5.Air Marshal Asghar Khan (July 23, 1957 – July 22, 1965)
6.Air Marshal Nur Khan (July 23, 1965 – August 31, 1969)
7.Air Marshal Abdul Rahim Khan (September 1, 1969 – March 2, 1972)
8.Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhry (March 3, 1972 – April 15, 1974)
9.Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan (April 16, 1974 – July 22, 1978)
10.Air Chief Marshal Anwar Shamim (July 23, 1978 – March 5, 1985)
11.Air Chief Marshal Jamal A. Khan (March 6, 1985 – March 8, 1988)
12.Air Chief Marshal Hakimullah (March 9, 1988 – March 9, 1991)
13.Air Chief Marshal Farooq Feroze Khan (March 9, 1991 – November 8, 1994)
14.Air Chief Marshal Abbas Khattak (November 8, 1994 – November 7, 1997)
15.Air Chief Marshal Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi (November 7, 1997 – November 20, 2000)
16.Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir (November 20, 2000 – February 20, 2003)
17.Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat (March 18, 2003 – March 18, 2006)
18.Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed (March 18, 2006 – March 18, 2009)
19.Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman (March 19, 2009 – present)

Special Forces

Special Service Wing (SSW) is an independent commando division of the Pakistan Air Force. It is an elite special operations force based upon the US Air Force's 1st Special Operations Wing unit and the US Army's Ranger units. This the newest component to the Special Forces of Pakistan. The division has recently been created and is fielding between 700 to 1,000 men in one company.

Bases

These are the bases from which the PAF planes operate during peace time. They have complete infrastructure of hardened shelters, control towers, workshops, ordnance depots etc. These are ten in number and are:

PAF Mushaf (Sargodha)
PAF Masroor (Karachi)
PAF Faisal (Karachi)
PAF Rafiqui (Shorkot)
PAF Peshawar (Peshawar)
PAF Samungli (Quetta)
PAF Mianwali (Mianwali)
PAF Minhas (Kamra)
PAF Chaklala (Rawalpindi)
PAF Risalpur (Risalpur)
Multan Airport (Multan)

Current Aircraft Inventory

The PAF today operates F-16s, F-7PGs, F-7MPs, Mirage-IIIs, JF-17 Thunders, A-5Cs and Mirage-Vs, around 500 to 530 fighters organized in 27 front-line squadrons[46], the total of aircraft exceeds over 700[47]. The PAF is upgrading fighter aircraft such as the Mirage ROSE-I that can utilize BVR, and Mirage ROSE-III that can carry out surgical strike missions using long-range glide bombs. Pakistan has also started manufacturing 150 (can go up to 250-300 fighters) JF-17 Thunder fighters at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra. The first batch of two aircraft were commissioned in PAF on 23 March 2007.

PAF currently has an inventory of around 850 fighter planes. However, at any given instance, around 550 fighters are operational.Some 200 of the Mirages have been given ROSE upgrades - allowing them to engage in BVR combat; and also allowing them to either perform high-altitude air-superiority missions or specialized surface strike missions. The F-7PGs and F-16s are the PAF's main multi-role fighter aircraft - while the F-7MP is a limited interceptor/ground-strike aircraft. It is likely however that the PAF will procure another 14 F-16A/B MLU-3 and 18 F-16C/D Block-52+ and start retiring its F-7MPs and non ROSE Mirages.

On April 12, 2006, the Government of Pakistan authorized the purchase of up to 77 F-16 fighter planes from the US. But this number was reduced to 40 when US declined to reduce the unit price of the aircraft. The Government of Pakistan had also authorized the purchase of 36 Chinese J-10B fighter aircraft PAF also received its first of five Saab 2000 AWACS aircraft from Sweden, on April 3, 2008.

On March 15, 2008, Pakistan received 6 JF-17 fighters from China. The Pakistan Air Force currently has 8 JF-17 Thunder aircraft in service.





Some 70 of the Dassault Mirage III and Mirage V aircraft have been modernised under the ROSE upgrade programme, allowing them to perform either high-altitude air-superiority missions or specialized surface strike missions, depending on the variant. The Chengdu F-7P/PG serve as interceptor aircraft that can also perform limited ground strike duties. The F-16 is the PAF's most capable multi-role combat aircraft. The PAF is currently in the process of modernising its entire fleet of aircraft. Procurement of a further 26 used F-16 and 18 new F-16 combat aircraft from the USA, as well as upgraded systems for the PAF's current fleet of F-16, are to be delivered ~2010. There are 150-250 JF-17 and 36 FC-20 combat aircraft from China being ordered and delivered. airborne early warning and control (AEWC) aircraft from Sweden, America and China have been ordered, as well as Il-78 aerial refuelling tanker aircraft from Ukraine. The JF-17 will begin replacing the PAF's fleet of Mirage III, Mirage V, F-7P/PG and A-5 combat aircraft from 2009, the phasing out and retirement of old aircraft will begin ~2010.

Ground SAM vehicles

FT-2000/HQ-9, In October 2003, it was reported that China had closed a deal with Pakistan to supply an unspecified number of FT-2000 missiles to counter India’s early warning. capabilities.[55] Pakistan is actively looking to purchase Chinese HQ-9/FD2000 high-altitude missile air defense system.[56] Chinese HQ-9/FD2000 can hit aircraft out to 125 kilometers, air-launched cruise missiles out to 50 kilometers, and ballistic missiles out to 25 kilometers.Pakistan has already purchased JY-11, JYL-1, (earlier version of the self propelled YLC-2V) YLC-2 and JL3D-90A radars. These radars serve as Acquisition Radars for HQ-12/KS-1A (Which lost to spada-2000) and HQ-9 / FD-2000 high-altitude missile air defense system.[57] Pakistan is purchasing three Regiments/9 batteries of the CPMIEC-built HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM) system.[58]
Crotale 2000/3000/4000, approx 25 systems
MBDA Spada 2000, European missile house MBDA has officially confirmed the sale of its Spada 2000 air defense system to the Pakistan Air Force.Speaking on April 16, Chief Executive Antoine Bouvier said the deal for 10 batteries was worth 415 million euros ($656.56 million) over five years, adding that the contract was signed last August and put into force in February.[59] Pakistan has ordered 750 Aspide-2000 SAM in 2007 for 20 Spada-2000 SAM system.[52]
FIM-92 Stinger
RBS-70 Rayrider, 250 Launchers, 900 Missiles
HQ-2B(SA-2), approx 32 launchers 600msl
PL-9, combined with twin 35/37 mm guns
GDF-002 35 mm radar Controlled Systems, approx 400

Engineering & maintenance capability

Since independence the PAF has developed and nurtured an extensive in house engineering, maintenance and repair capability. Indigenization of in house maintenance has enabled it to maintain force levels and high serviceability and reliability rates. The premier maintenance organizations supporting the mission of the Pakistan Air Force are Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (which includes F6 Rebuild Factory, Mirage Rebuild Factory, Aircraft Manufacturing Factory, Kamra Avionics Rebuild Factory), No 102 Air Engineering Depot (Aero-Engines Overhaul), No 107 Air Engineering Depot (Avionics), No 108 Air Engineering Depot (Ground Radars), No 109 Air Engineering Depot (Missiles), No 130 Air Engineering Depot (Transport Aircraft Overhaul). R&D work is done at Central Technical Development Unit, Special Task Group & No 118 Software Engineering Depot. The PAF managed / supported Air Weapon Complex (AWC) produces a number of high technology armament and munitions for the air force.

The College of Aeronautical Engineering (CAE) situated at PAF Academy Risalpur is a world class Aeronautical Engineering College which graduates engineers in aerospace and avionics and is one of the best technical institutes in Pakistan and fulfills requirements for both Army & Navy satisfactorily.

Apart from this Pre Trade Training School, School Of Aeronautics, School Of Electronics, Administrative Trades Training School and School Of Logistics fulfills different manpower requirements of Pakistan Air Force.

PAF is also supporting a university (AIR UNIVERSITY and IAA) at PAF complex Islamabad which provide civil students and military cadet with world class engineering facilities.

The Future




More weaponry procurements

AIM-120C7 AMRAAM beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (1000 ordered).
AIM-9X Sidewinder within-visual-range air-to-air missile (1000 ordered).
AIM-9M-1/2 Sidewinder within-visual-range air-to-air missile (upgraded to AIM-9M-8/9, 300 ordered).
SD-10 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.
PL-9C within-visual-range air-to-air missile.
Denel A-Darter within-visual-range air-to-air missile.
Harpoon Block II anti-ship missile.
Mectron MAR-1 anti-radiation missile (100 received).
Lockheed Martin Sniper XR targeting pod (18 ordered).
Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)

Pakistan Army

History of the Pakistan Army

1947 - 1958.

The Pakistani Army was created on 30 June 1947 with the division of the British Indian Army and Pakistan received six armoured, eight artillery and eight infantry regiments compared to the forty armoured, forty artillery and twenty one infantry regiments that went to India.Fearing that India would take over the state of Kashmir, irregulars, scouts and tribal groups joined the Kashmiris opposing the maharaja in 1947. This lead to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.[verification needed] Regular army units joined the invasion later on but were stopped after the refusal of the Pakisatan army C-in-C to obey Pakistani leader Jinnah's orders to move the army into Kashmir. Ceasefire followed on UN intervention with Pakistan occupying the northwestern part of Kashmir and India the rest. Later, during the 1950s, the Pakistani Army received large amounts of economic and military aid from United States and Great Britain after signing two Mutual Defense Treaties, Central Treaty Organization, (Cento) also known as the Baghdad Pact and SEATO, (South East Asian Treaty Organization) in 1954. This aid greatly expanded the Army from its modest beginnings.

The sole division HQ that went to Pakistan was the 7th. 8th and 9th Divisions were raised in 1947; 10, 12 and 14 Divs were raised in 1948. 15 Div was raised in 1950. At some point before 1954, 6 Div was raised and 9 Div disbanded. 6 Div was disbanded at some point after 1954 as US assistance was available only for 1 armd and 6 inf divs. 1st Armoured Div was raised in 1956.

1958 - 1969

The Army seized control of Pakistan for the first time when General Ayub Khan came to power through a bloodless coup in 1958. Tensions with India continued in the 1960s and a brief border skirmish was fought near the Rann of Kutch area during April 1965, in which the Indian Army was repulsed with heavy casualties. Emboldened, the Pakistan Army leaders carried out Operation Gibraltar, an attempt to take Kashmir, that was launched later in the year, resulting in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, after the Pakistani infiltrators were discovered, India counter-attacked. The 3-week war ended in a U.N. mandated ceasefire culminating in the Tashkent Declaration. However, the military generally considers the 1965 war as a victory over a rival that outnumbered it by almost 3 to 1 in all military aspects. In that regard, the valour of Major Raja Aziz Bhatti of thwarting an entire Indian Brigade planning to break into Lahore and the Battle Of Chawinda are considered to be one of the most courageous feats in the army. At Chawinda the Pakistan Army was vastly outnumbered in terms of personnel and equipment but it is said that victory was achieved when Pakistani East Bengal Regiment soldiers tied bombs to their bellies in order to stop the advancing Indian tanks. An uprising against General Ayub Khan, during 1968 and 1969 resulted in Ayub Khan relinquishing his office as President and Chief of Pakistan Army in favor of General Yahya Khan who assumed power in 1969.6 Armoured and 11 Infantry Divisions were raised in adhoc form 1964-65. 16, 18 and 23 Divisions were raised at some point between 1966-69; and 9 Division was re-raised in this period.

1969 - 1977

During the rule of General Yahya Khan, the Bengalis protested their poor conditions and civil unrest broke out in East Pakistan amidst incidents of massive human rights abuses carried out and genocide by the Pakistani Army and military. India joined the war on the side of Bangladesh following seven months of civil war in November 1971, and on the 16th of December, 1971, over 90,000 Pakistani Armed forces personnel (army, air force and navy) around 40,000 government and civil employees surrendered (which is the highest number of POW's after World War II)to the Indian forces and Bangladesh became a republic. Consequently, the Pakistan army was modernized at a faster pace than ever before.

1977 - 1999

In 1977 the Pakistan Army took over the government of Pakistan after a coup by General Zia ul-Haq, which saw the end of another democratically elected government leading to the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, after he was tried and found guilty of conspiracy of murdering a politician named Kasuri. General Zia ul-Haq ruled as a military dictator until his mysterious explosion aircraft death in 1988.At that time General Mohammad Iqbal Khan was an other great general of Pakistan who served as a joint chief from 1980 to 1984.he was also the Chief Martial Law Officer at that time.if general zia ul haq would have resigned at that time he would be the next COAS.

Pakistani army also helped the Saudi Arabian Government in regaining the control of the Kaaba with the help of French Commandos. Pakistani and French security forces retook the Kaaba in a battle which left approximately 250 dead, and 600 wounded. The Pakistanis and French were called in after poor results from assaults by the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG). 127 were reported to have been killed.

In the mid-1970s the Pakistani Army was involved in fighting an uprising in Balochistan. Various Balochi factions, some with the oblique support of the USSR, wanted independence or at least greater provincial rights. The rebellion was put down but the Army suffered heavy casualties.

With the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the United States began to provide large scale military and economic aid to Pakistan to modernize its conventional military capability and, ostensibly at least, prevent any Soviet attacks on it. This aid was also intended as an incentive for Pakistan to aid CIA sponsored Afghan Mujahideen (called "Army of GOD") in Afghanistan. The SSG created a unit called the Black Storks in which SSG commandos were dressed up as Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan war. They were then flown into Afghanistan and provided the Mujahideen with support. The United States allocated about 40% of its assistance package to non-reimbursable credits for military purchases, the fourth largest program after Israel, Egypt and Turkey. The remainder of the aid program was devoted to economic assistance.

After the Soviets withdrew by 1989 and the Pakistani Nuclear weapons program nearing maturity, Pakistan was placed under sanctions by USA in 1990. Various weapon systems ordered by Pakistan such as F-16 Jets were not delivered but various amendments have authorized return of spare parts and end items already paid for by Pakistan. There was a period of international sanctions due to Pakistan's nuclear tests. During 1999 the Pakistan Army for the fourth time overthrew a democratically elected government which resulted in additional sanctions being placed against Pakistan

The Army fought a brief border skirmish with India in Kargil 1999 after the Pakistan Army sent in their para-military NLI troops dressed as mujahiddin into Indian territory. There was a danger of the war spiraling out of control when Nawaz Sharif, under immense pressure from Washington, eventually ordered a withdrawal. This decision and the resulting Pakistani casualties created great resentment in the Army against the Prime Minister and is rumored to have contributed to his eventual over throwing by the COAS.

40 and 41 Divs were raised in the 1980s; Two more divs have been raised under the rubric "Corps Reserves" for V and XXXI corps.

1999 - Present

In October 1999 the Pakistan Army for the fourth time, overthrew a democratically elected government which resulted in additional sanctions being placed against Pakistan, resulting in General Pervez Musharraf coming to power in a bloodless coup. Musharraf stepped down as President in August 2008. On July 30, 2009, the Pakistan Supreme Court ruled that General Musharraf's imposition of the Emergency Rule in 2007 was unconstitutional.

Since the 9/11 incident, Pakistan unrecognized the Taliban and has become a key ally of the United States in the fight against terrorism. As part of the U.S.'s War on Terrorism, the army has moved over 100,000 troops to the Pakistan-Afghan border to patrol against extreme elements cross border infiltration.

The Pakistan Army commenced operations in Balochistan during 2006, resulting in the killing of the leader of the Balochis, Nawab Akbar Bugti and has resulted in the crushing of a rebellion by the Balochistan Liberation Army.

On February 21,2009, the Pakistani government and armed forces decided to implement a truce with the Taliban rather than engage in on-off guerrilla warfare to the dismay of many of Pakistan's Western allies including the United States. As a result of this truce, Shariah or Islamic law was to be implemented in the Malakand division - a region in North-West Pakistan that includes the one time tourist haven, Swat Valley. However, when Taliban did not lay down their weapons as part of the deal which would result in the implementation of Islamic law, the Pakistan army supported by the country's parliament embarked on a full-scale military operation in order to 'eliminate' militants that challenge the writ of the state.

Recent press releases by military spokespersons claim to have already killed over 1,000 militants. The militants, on the other hand, claim to have taken less losses than the military. However, due to the intensity of the conflict and the curfew imposed by the government in the area, it is difficult to verify this independently. Most observers believe that the military is regaining territory that was in control of the militants, although the speed of this progress is considerably slow. Notable defence analysts believe that if the Pakistan army is serious about tackling the threat of militancy, it will be successful in quelling this insurgency.

Pakistan Army Role in Peacekeeping

In the wake of the new world power equilibrium a more complex security environment has emerged. It is characterized by growing national power politics and state implosions which have necessitated involvement of the United Nations peace keeping forces for conflict resolution.

The United Nations has been undertaking peace keeping operations since its inception, but the need for employment of peace keeping forces has increased manifold since the Gulf War. In 1992 there were 11000 Blue Berets deployed around the world, by the end of the year the figure rose to 52000. Presently it exceeds a staggering figure of 80,000 troops.





Pakistan Contribution in UN Peace Keeping Missions
UN Operation in Congo (ONUC) 1960-1964
UN Security Force in New Guinea, West Irian (UNSF) 1962-1963
UN Yemen Observer Mission Yemen (UNYOM) 1963-1964
UN Transition Assistance Group in Namibia (UNTAG) 1989-1990
UN Iraq-Kuwait Observer Mission (UNIKOM) 1991-2003
UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) 1993-1996
UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) 1992-1993
UN Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM) 1992-1995
UN Protection Forces in Bosnia (UNPROFOR) 1992-1995
UN Observer Mission for Rawanda (UNAMIR) 1993-1996
UN Verification Mission in Angola (UNAVEM III) 1995-1997
UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) 1996-1997
UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP) 1996-2002
UN Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) 2001-2005
UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) 1999-to-date
UN Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) 2003-to-date
UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) 2003-to-date
UN Mission in Ivory Coast (ONUCI) 2004-to-date
UN Mission in Burundi (ONUB) 2004-to-date
UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) 2005-to-date
UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) 1999-to-date
Currently, Pakistan has the most operational army in UN peace keeping missions. Notable are its achievements in DRC and Somalia







The Pakistan Army (Urdu: پاک فوج) is the largest branch of the Pakistan military, and is mainly responsible for protection of the state borders, the security of administered territories and defending the national interests of Pakistan within the framework of its international obligations.

The Pakistan Army, combined with the Navy and Air Force, makes Pakistan's armed forces the sixth largest military in the world. The Army is modelled on the United Kingdom armed forces and came into existence after the independence in 1947. It has an active force of 700,000 personnel and 528,000 men in reserve that continue to serve until the age of 45 and several other groups functioning under its many umbrella organisations.The Pakistani Army is a volunteer force and has been involved in many conflicts with India. Combined with this rich combat experience, the Army is also actively involved in contributing to United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Other foreign deployments have consisted of Pakistani Army personnel as advisers in many African, South Asian and Arab countries. The Pakistani Army maintained division and brigade strength presences in some of the Arab countries during the past Arab-Israeli Wars, and the first Gulf War to help the Coalition. The Pakistani Army is led by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Combat Doctrine

Pakistan Army has a doctrine of limited "offensive-defense"[citation needed] which it has tried to refine consistently ever since 1989 when it was pushed out to the formations during "Exercise Zarb-e-Momin". The main purpose of this strategy is to launch a sizeable offensive into enemy territory rather than wait to be hit from the enemy's offensive attack. The doctrine is based on the premise that while on the offensive, the enemy can be kept off-balance while allowing Pakistani Army to be able to seize enemy territory of strategic importance which can be used as a bargaining chip on into enemy territory, the Pakistani Army hopes to consolidate its gains inside the enemy's territory. The Pakistan Army will attempt to keep the enemy off of the border rather than giving ground on the Pakistani side.

In the 1990s, the Army created a strong centralized corps of reserves for its formations in the critical semi-desert and desert sectors in southern Punjab and Sindh provinces. These new formations were rapidly equipped with assets needed for mechanized capability. These reserve formations are dual-capable, meaning they can be used for offensive as well as defensive (holding) purposes.

Organization

The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), formerly called the Commander in Chief (C in C), is charged with the responsibility of commanding the Pakistani Army. The COAS operates from army headquarters in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. The Principal Staff Officers (PSO's) assisting him in his duties at the Lieutenant General level include a Chief of General Staff (CGS), under whom the Military Operations and Intelligence Directorates function; the Chief of Logistics Staff (CLS); the Adjutant General (AG); the Quarter-Master General (QMG); the Inspector General of Training and Evaluation (IGT&E); and the Military Secretary (MS). A major reorganization in GHQ was done in September 2008 under General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, when two new PSO positions were introduced: the Inspector General Arms and the Inspector General Communications and IT, thus raising the number of PSO's to eight.

The headquarters function also includes the Judge Advocate General (JAG), and the Comptroller of Civilian Personnel, the Chief of the Corps of Engineers (E-in-C) who is also head of Military Engineering Service (MES), all of them also report to the Chief of the Army Staff.

The current Principal Staff Officers (PSO's) assisting the COAS in his duties at the Lieutenant General level include:

Chief of General Staff (CGS) — Lt Gen Mohammad Mustafa Khan
Chief of Logistics Staff (CLS) — Lt Gen Shafaat Ullah Shah
Inspector General Arms — Lt Gen Jamil Haider
Adjutant General (AG) — Lt Gen Javed Zia
Quarter-Master General (QMG) — Lt Gen Zahid Hussain
Inspector General Training and Evaluation (IGT&E) — Lt Gen Ahsan Azhar Hayat
Military Secretary (MS) — Lt Gen Mohsin Kamal
Inspector General Communications and IT — Lt Gen Tanvir Tahir

List of Chiefs of Army Staff

1.General Sir Frank Messervy (15 August 1947 - 10 February 1948)
2.General Sir Douglas Gracey (11 February 1948 - 16 January 1951)
3.Field Marshall Muhammad Ayub Khan (16 January 1951 - 26 October 1958)
4.General Mohammad Musa Khan (27 October 1958 - 17 June 1966)
5.General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan (18 June 1966 – 20 December 1971)
6.Lt General Gul Hassan Khan (20 December 1971 - 3 March 1972)
7.General Tikka Khan (3 March 1972 – 1 March 1976)
8.General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1 April 1976 - 17 August 1988)
9.General Mirza Aslam Beg (17 August 1988 - 16 August 1991)
10.General Asif Nawaz (16 August 1991 - 8 January 1993)
11.General Abdul Waheed (8 January 1993 - 12 January 1996)
12.General Jehangir Karamat (12 January 1996 - 6 October 1998)
13.General Pervez Musharraf (7 October 1998 - 28 November 2007)
14.General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani (29 November 2007 - present)

Structure of Army units

The Pakistani Army is divided into two main branches, which are Arms and Services. Arms include:

Army Infantry Regiments
Regiment of Artillery
Armoured Corps Regiments
Regiment of Air Defence
Corps of Engineers
Army Medical Corps
Corps of Signals
Army Aviation Corps
And Services include:

Army Ordnance Corps
Corps of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering (EME)
Army Supply & Transport Corps (ASC)

Regiments

Infantry:
Frontier Force (FF)
Punjab
Sindh
Baloch
Azad Kashmir (AK)
Northern Light Infantry (NLI)
The President's Bodyguard
Armour
4th Cavalry
5th Horse
6th Lancers
7th Lancers
8th Cavalry
9th Horse
10th Cavalry (Guides Cavalry)
11th Cavalry
12th Cavalry
13th Lancers
14th Lancers
15th Lancers
16th Horse
17th Lancer
18th Horse
19th Lancers
20th Lancers
21st Horse
22nd Cavalry
23rd Cavalry
24th Cavalry
25th Cavalry
26th Cavalry
27th Cavalry
28th Cavalry
29th Cavalry
30th Cavalry
31st Cavalry
32nd Cavalry
33rd Cavalry
34th Lancers
37th Cavalry
38th Cavalry
40th Horse
41st Horse
42nd Lancers
51st Lancers
52nd Cavalry
53rd Cavalry
52nd Cavalry
53rd Cavalry
54th Cavalry
55th Cavalry
56th Cavalry
57th Cavalry
58th Cavalry


*The President's Bodyguard formed at independence from members of the Governor General's Bodyguard, itself successor to the Governor's Troop of Moghals raised in 1773
*5th Horse is the successor to the 1st Sikh Irregular Cavalry (Wales's Horse), and the 2nd Sikh Irregular Cavalry, both raised in 1857
*6th Lancers is the successor to The Rohilkhand Horse raised in 1857, and the 4th Sikh Irregular Cavalry raised in 1858
*Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force) is the successor to the Corps of Guides raised in 1846
*11th Cavalry (Frontier Force) is the successor to 1st Regiment of Punjab Cavalry and 3rd Regiment of Punjab Cavalry, both raised in 1849
*13th Lancers is the successor to the 1st Native Troop raised in 1804, and the 2nd Native Troop raised in 1816. It is also the senior most armour regiment of the Indian Sub-Continent.
*15th Lancers is the successor to the Multani Regiment Of Cavalry raised in 14 January 1858.
*19th Lancers is the successor to the 2nd Mahratta Horse (Tiwana Horse) raised in 1858, and Fane's Horse raised in 1860
*25th Cavalry (Frontier Force) is the famous unit which stopped Indian armour thrust in Chawinda in 1965
*The Punjab Regiment formed in 1956 from the 1st, 14th, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments; can be traced back to the 3rd Battalion of Coast Sepoys raised in 1759
*The Baloch Regiment formed in 1956 from the 8th Punjab Regiment, The Baloch Regiment, and The Bahawalpur Regiment; can be traced back to the 3rd Extra Madras Battalion raised in 1798
*The Frontier Force Regiment is the successor to the Frontier Brigade raised in 1846
*The Azad Kashmir Regiment was raised in 1947, became part of the army in 1971
*The Sindh Regiment was raised in 1980 from battalions of the Punjab Regiment and Baloch Regiment
*The Northern Light Infantry was formed in 1977 from various paramilitary units of scouts, became part of the army in 1999 after the Kargil War
*The Special Service Group was formed in 1959 around a cadre from the Baloch Regiment

Corps

There are 11 Corps including the newly formed Army Strategic Forces Command (2004) and Army Air Defence Command located at various garrisons all over Pakistan

Corps HQ Location Major Formations under Corps Commander

I Corps Mangla, Azad Kashmir 6th Armoured Division (Kharian), 17th Infantry Division (Kharian), 37th Infantry Division (Gujranwala) Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmad

II Corps Multan, Punjab 1st Armoured Division (Multan), 40th Infantry Division (Okara) Lt Gen Sikandar Afzal

IV Corps Lahore, Punjab 10th Infantry Division (Lahore), 11th Infantry Division (Lahore) Lt Gen Ijaz Ahmed Bakhshi.

V Corps Karachi, Sindh 16th Infantry Division (Pano Akil), 18th Infantry Division (Hyderabad), 25th Mechanized Division (Malir) Lt Gen Shahid Iqbal

X Corps Rawalpindi, Punjab Force Command Northern Areas (Gilgit), 12th Infantry Division (Murree), 19th Infantry Division (Mangla), 23rd Infantry Division (Jhelum) Lt Gen Tahir Mahmood

XI Corps Peshawar, North West Frontier Province 7th Infantry Division (Peshawar), 9th Infantry Division (Kohat) Lt Gen Muhammad Masood Aslam

XII Corps Quetta, Balochistan 33rd Infantry Division (Quetta), 41st Infantry Division (Quetta) Lt Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne

XXX Corps Gujranwala, Punjab 2nd Artillery Division (Gujranwala), 8th Infantry Division (Sialkot), 15th Infantry Division (Sialkot) Lt Gen Nadeem Taj

XXXI Corps Bahawalpur, Punjab 14th Infantry Division (Okara), 26th Mechanized Division (Bahawalpur), 35th Infantry Division (Bahawalpur) Lt Gen Muhammad Yousaf
Strategic Corps Rawalpindi, Punjab 47th(AZADI, meaning Independence) Artillery Brigade (Sargodha), others Lt Gen Syed Absar Hussain

Air Defence Command Rawalpindi, Punjab 4th Air Defence Division (Karachi), 5th Air Defence Division (Sargodha),46th Independent Air Defence Brigade (Kahuta) Lt Gen Muhammad Ashraf Saleem

Personnel Training

Enlisted ranks
Most enlisted personnel used to come from rural families, and many have only rudimentary literacy skills, but with the increase in the litracy level the requirements have been raised to Matriculate level (10th Grade). Recruits are processed gradually through a paternalistically run regimental training center, taught the official language, Urdu, if necessary, and given a period of elementary education before their military training actually starts.

In the thirty-six-week training period, they develop an attachment to the regiment they will remain with through much of their careers and begin to develop a sense of being a Pakistani rather than primarily a member of a tribe or a village. Enlisted men usually serve for eighteen years, during which they participate in regular training cycles and have the opportunity to take academic courses to help them advance.


Officer Ranks

Following are the Officer ranks in Pakistan Army[16]:

Field Marshal
General
Lt-General
Major-General
Brigadier
Colonel
Lt-Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
2nd lieutenant
About 320 men enter the army bi-annually through the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul in Abbottabad in the North West Frontier Province; a small number—especially physicians and technical specialists—are directly recruited, and these persons are part of the heart of the officer corps. The product of a highly competitive selection process, members of the officer corps have completed twelve years of education and spend two years at the Pakistan Military Academy, with their time divided about equally between military training and academic work to bring them up to a baccalaureate education level, which includes English-language skills.

The army has twelve other training establishments, including schools concentrating on specific skills such as infantry, artillery, intelligence, or mountain warfare. A National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has been established which has absorbed the existing colleges of engineering, signals, electrical engineering and medicine. At the apex of the army training system is the Command and Staff College at Quetta, one of the few institutions inherited from the colonial period. The college offers a ten-month course in tactics, staff duties, administration, and command functions through the division level. Students from foreign countries, including the United States, have attended the school but reportedly have been critical of its narrow focus and failure to encourage speculative thinking or to give adequate attention to less glamorous subjects, such as logistics.

The senior training institution for all service branches is the National Defence University. Originally established in 1971 at Rawalpindi, to provide training in higher military strategy for senior officers, the school house was relocated to Islamabad in 1995. It also offers courses that allow civilians to explore the broader aspects of national security. In a program begun in the 1980s to upgrade the intellectual standards of the officer corps and increase awareness of the wider world, a small group of officers, has been detailed to academic training, achieving master's degrees and even doctorates at universities in Pakistan and abroad.

Pakistani officers were sent abroad during the 1950s and into the 1960s for training in Britain and other Commonwealth countries, and especially to the United States, where trainees numbering well in the hundreds attended a full range of institutions ranging from armored and infantry schools to the higher staff and command institutions. After 1961 this training was coordinated under the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, but numbers varied along with vicissitudes in the United States-Pakistan military relationship. Of some 200 officers being sent abroad annually in the 1980s, over two-thirds went to the United States, but the cessation of United States aid in 1990 entailed suspension of the IMET program. In 1994 virtually all foreign training was in Commonwealth countries. However, after the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan again has begun sending officers to US Army schools. Today there are more than 400 officers serving in foreign countries.

Officers retire between the ages of fifty-two and sixty, depending on their rank

Awards for Valor

The Nishan-e-Haider (Urdu: نشان حیدر) (Sign of the Lion), is the highest military award given by Pakistan.

Recipients Nishan-e-Haider recipients receive an honorary title as a sign of respect: Shaheed meaning martyr for deceased recipients.

1.Captain Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed (1910–27 July 1948)
2.Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed (1914–7 August 1958)
3.Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (1928–10 September 1965)
4.Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed (1938–1971)
5.Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed (1943–6 December 1971)
6.Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed (1949–10 December 1971)
7.Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz Shaheed (1944–17 December 1971)
8.Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (1970–5 July 1999)
9.Lalak Jan Shaheed (1967–7 July 1999)
10.Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed (Day of martyrdom : 21 August 1971)
Two Pakistani pilots belonging to the army aviation branch of Pakistan army who carried out a daring rescue of a mountaineer are to be given Slovenia's top award for bravery. Slovenian, Tomaz Humar got stranded on the western end of the 8,125m Nanga Parbat mountain were he remained for around a week on top of the world's ninth-highest peak. The helicopter pilots plucked the 38-year-old from an icy ledge 6,000m up the peak known as "killer mountain".

The Slovenian president has presented Lt Col Rashid Ullah Beg and Lt Col Khalid Amir Rana with the Golden Order for Services in the country's capital, Ljubljana, "for risking their lives during the rescue mission", a Pakistan army statement said

Special Forces and Alliances

Special Service Group (SSG) is an independent commando division of the Pakistan Army. It is an elite special operations force similar to the United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and the British Army's SAS.

Official numbers are put at 2,100 men, in 3 Battalions; however the actual strength is classified.[23] It is estimated to have been increased to 4 Battalions, with the eventual formation of 2 Brigades of Special Forces (6 Battalions).

Weapons and Equipment

Small Arms

The light weapons include

Handguns

Tokarov pistol
HK P7 Glock 17 Glock 26 (New entree as a backup weapon with the intelligence personnel. Steyr M9A1 (Recently acquired by the Airforce SSG)

Sub-machine guns and carbines.

Heckler & Koch MP5 9 mm Parabellum sub-machine gun
Heckler & Koch MP5K 9 mm Parabellum sub-machine gun
FN P90 5.7x28mm sub-machine gun
Heckler & Koch MP5 & MP5Ks are contemporarily being manufactured by Pakistan Ordinance Factories under license from HK. MP5-K is in use by Airport Security Force or Personal Security Detail of VIPs.

Assault rifles

G3 Types A3 & P4 Assault Rifle*
Type 81 Assault Rifle
Type 56 Assault Rifle
AK-101Assault Rifle
AK-103 Assault Rifle
Steyr AUG
M4A1 Carbine
HK G36
FN 2000
Grenades

M67 grenade

Sniper rifles

Anti Aircraft Machine Gun 12.7 mm, Type 54*
Steyr SSG-4 and SSG-P2 sniper rifles*
M82 Barrett rifle (US Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle .50 BMG)

Machine guns

MG3 Machine Gun*
FN MAG
FN Minimi PARA
DShK

Projectile launchers

RPG-7
Type 69 RPG
RPG-29
Mk 19 grenade launcher
Carl Gustav recoilless rifle

Pakistan Army Inventory
Vehicle/System/Aircraft Firm Number in Service Status
Al Khalid Main Battle Tank 600 In Service.
T-80UD Main Battle Tank 320 320 Delivered by Ukraine between 1997 and early 2002.
Type 85IIAP Main Battle Tank 300 In Service. Being phased out
Al-Zarar Tank Main Battle Tank 350 Currently under production
Type 79IIAP 250 Being phased out by Al Khalid
Type 69 150 Being phased out by Al Khalid
Type 63 850 Amphibious tank
Type 59 500 Being phased out by Al Zarrar & Al Khalid II
Hamza Infantry Fighting Vehicle ??? Being procured
Al-Fahd Infantry fighting vehicle 140 In Service
Talha Armoured Personnel Carrier 400+ Final number to be around 2,000
Sa'ad Armoured Personnel Carrier ??? Currently in production
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier 1100+ In Service
BTR-70 Armoured Personnel Carrier 169 In Service
Mohafiz Light Armoured Personnel Carrier ??? In Service & Additional APCs being procured
Scorpion Light Jeep 1260 In Service
Al Qaswa Logistical Vehicle ?? Being procured
M88 ARV Armoured Recovery Vehicle ??? In Service
M60A1 AVLB Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge ??? In Service
M48 Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge ??? In Service
M109A5 155 mm Self-Propelled Howitzer 265 115 Ordered along with 150 A5 upgrade kits
M110A2 203 mm Self-Propelled Howitzer 40 In Service
Type 56 85 mm Towed Artillery 200 In Service
M-56 105 mm Towed Artillery 80 In Service
M101 105 mm Towed Artillery 300 In Service
T-60 122 mm Towed Artillery 200 In Service
Type 54 122 mm Towed Artillery 400 In Service
Type 59I 130 mm Towed Artillery 200 In Service
M-59 155 mm Towed Artillery 30 In Service
M114 155 mm Towed Artillery 60 In Service
M-198 155 mm Towed Artillery 120 In Service
M-115 203 mm Towed Artillery 40 In Service
T-155 Fırtına Self-Propelled Artillery 12 Produced and Delivered byTurkey
Eurocopter Tiger Attack Helicopter 18 Being Inducted[9]
AH-1S Cobra Attack Helicopter 18 In Service,
AH-1F Cobra Attack Helicopter 20 In Service,
Bell 412 Huey Transport Helicopter 25 In Service
Bell 206 Jet Ranger Transport Helicopter 5 In Service
UH-1 Huey Transport Helicopter 10 In Service
Aérospatiale Puma Transport Helicopter 25 In Service
Mil Mi-17 Transport Helicopter 90 Additional helicopters planned
Bell 407 Light Transport Helicopter 45
Eurocopter AS-550 Light Transport Helicopter 50 Replacing Alouette III & Lama
Aérospatiale Alouette III Light Transport Helicopter 40 Being phased out
Aérospatiale SA-315B Lama Light Transport Helicopter (variant of Aerospatiale Alouette II) 40 Being phased out


Mortars
(Type) 81 mm
AM-FFFF Series 120 mm
Type 63-1

Anti-tank Guided Weapons

TOW ATGM
TOW II (recently procured)
Bakter-Shikan ATGM
FGM-148 Javelin

Army Air Defence

Anti-aircraft guns: ZU-23/-33, -30, -36, -37, -57 mm
Bofors RBS-23 BAMSE
Bofors RBS-70
SA-7 Grail
General Dynamics FIM-92 Stinger
General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye
Anza MKI, Anza MKII and Anza MKIII
HQ-2B
Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon
Bofors 40 mm gun.

Missiles

Below is the list of all missiles in service of Pakistan's Armed Forces. This includes missiles produced indigenously, missiles produced under license and missiles procured from other countries.

Missiles in Service of Pakistan



Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missiles Intermediate Range Ghauri-III* · Shaheen-III*

Medium Range Ghauri-I · Ghauri-II · Shaheen-II

Short Range Hatf-I · Abdali · Ghaznavi · Shaheen-I · M-11


Cruise Missiles Land Attack Babur

Anti-Ship C-802 · C-803 · Exocet · AGM-84 Harpoon · C-201 · C-801


Anti-Tank Missiles Baktar-Shikan · BGM-71 TOW · MILAN · Cobra 2000

Torpedoes Mk-46 · F17P Mod 2 · Tp 43X2 · A244-S · SUT Mod 2 · ECAN L5 Mod 3 · ASROC · VL-ASROC


Air-to-Surface Cruise Missiles Land Attack Babur · Ra'ad · AS-30L · AGM-65 Maverick

Anti-Ship C-802 · C-803 · Exocet · AGM-84 Harpoon

Anti-Radiation AGM-88 HARM · AGM-45 Shrike · MAR-1


Anti-Tank Missiles Baktar-Shikan · BGM-71 TOW

Glide Bombs H-2 · H-4

Torpedoes Mk-46 · A244-S


Surface-to-Air Medium Range Area Defence SAMs HQ-2B (S-75) · RIM-66 SM-1MR

Short Range Point Defence SAMs Crotale · MBDA Spada 2000 · LY-60N · FM-90

Man Portable SAMs Anza · FIM-92 Stinger · FIM-43 Redeye · RBS 70 · Mistral


Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range AAMs SD-10 · AIM-120 AMRAAM

Within Visual Range AAMs PL-5 · PL-9 · AIM-9 Sidewinder · AIM-7 Sparrow · Matra R550 Magic · Matra R530 · Matra Super 530


* = Under Development
It has been recently reported by the Pakistani Press (Daily Jang) that Pakistan has the ability to use MIRVs on its missiles. This has been seen as possibly the greatest achievement of Pakistani scientists and engineers to date. It has also been reported that Pakistan would likely use MIRVs on its Shaheen-II missiles.Pakistan is likley to be building a babur-2,with a range of 1000-2000 km range

Future Plans
Throughout the International Defence Exhibition & Seminar (IDEAS) at Karachi in November 2006, Pakistani firms have signed joint development, production and marketing agreements with defence firms from South Korea, France and Ukraine. These agreements include new reactive armour bricks, 155 mm artillery shells, and other developments in armour and land weaponry. These agreements all relate to the Pakistan Army's AFFDP-2019 modernization program of its armour, artillery and infantry.[citation needed]

A few months prior to IDEAS 2006, the Pakistan Army and Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) announced the development of the Al Khalid II Main Battle Tank (MBT). The Al Khalid II is poised to become the Pakistan Army's backbone main battle tank from 2012; thus replacing 1200 obsolete Chinese T-59 and 300 T-85IIAP. Not much is known about this tank, but it is reported that the Al Khalid II is a very extensive upgrade of the current Al Khalid. Other reports suggest that it will be an entirely new tank based on Western designs. Turkish press reported that a Pakistani armour firm will participate in the Turkey's new generation tank project. Turkey and Pakistan have signed many memorandums of understanding in various defence-related fields. Given that many Pakistani firms have signed joint agreements with Western firms, it is possible that a considerable part of the Al Khalid II's design will be influenced from the Turkish tank design. Nonetheless, the new generation tank is expected to form the backbone of the Pakistan Army's tank force; in the long-term.[citation needed]

The Pakistan Army will standardize its artillery capability to 155 mm by 2019. This can be seen by the acquisition of 115 M109A5 self-propelled howitzers from the United States, and joint production deals of 155 mm shells with French and South Korean firms. It is expected that the army will procure a range of light, medium and heavy towed and self-propelled howitzer artillery from China, Europe and the United States. These will replace all non-155 mm and older systems. The Army reportedly ordered and procured an undisclosed number of WS-1B Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS). As part of the artillery modernization program, the Army will likely procure a fair number of new MLRS systems of various ranges and shell sizes.[citation needed]

Modernization of the Army Aviation is underway with the procurement of new transport and attack helicopters from the United States, Russia and Europe. Finalized acquisitions include 26 Bell 412EP and at least a dozen Mi-17 medium-lift transport helicopters from the U.S and Russia, respectively. Forty Bell 407 and an unknown number of Fennec light helicopters from the U.S. and Eurocopter have also been ordered, respectively. Plans are underway to begin replacing the IAR 330 Puma, older Mil Mi-8/17, Bell Jet Rangers and older Huey helicopters; options include the Eurocopter NH-90 Tactical Transport Helicopter and UH-60M Blackhawk. The Pakistan Army has procured dozens of excess AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters since 2002; at least 20 have been brought into service to supplement the serving 18. These gunships are expected to add muscle to current counterterrorist support operations in NWFP.The army reportedly has upgraded its entire fleet with AH-1Z King Cobra avionics and new weapon systems such as the TOW-2 and Hellfire missiles. Up to 30 new-generation attack helicopters will be procured to further enhance the Army's attack aviation arm; options include the Eurocopter Tiger, South African AH-2 Rooivalk and Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow. It is likley that Pakistan ordered 6 AH-64D Apache Longbows.ICBM missile are also planned by Pakistan Army.

Third military era (1999 - 2007)

On 12 October, 1999, Sharif attempted to dismiss army chief Pervez Musharraf and install ISI director Ziauddin Butt in his place, but senior generals refused to accept the decision.[73] Musharraf, who was out of the country, boarded a commercial airliner to return to Pakistan. Sharif ordered the Jinnah International Airport to prevent the landing of the airliner, which then circled the skies over Karachi. In a coup, the generals ousted Sharif's administration and took over the airport.[11] The plane landed with only a few minutes of fuel to spare, and General Musharraf assumed control of the government. He arrested Sharif and those members of his cabinet who took part in this conspiracy. American President Bill Clinton had felt that his pressure to force Sharif to withdraw Pakistani forces from Kargil, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, was one of the main reasons for disagreements between Sharif and the Pakistani army. Clinton and King Fahd then pressured Musharraf to spare Sharif and, instead, exile him to Saudi Arabia, guaranteeing that he would not be involved in politics for ten years. Sharif lived in Saudi Arabia for more than six years before moving to London in 2005.

On May 12, 2000 the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the Government to hold general elections by October 12, 2002. In an attempt to legitimize his presidency[74] and assure its continuance after the impending elections, Musharraf held a controversial national referendum on April 30, 2002,[75] which extended his presidential term to a period ending five years after the October elections.[76] Musharraf strengthened his position by issuing a Legal Framework Order in August 2001 which established the constitutional basis for his continuance in office.[77] The general elections were held in October 2002 and the centrist, pro-Musharraf PML-Q won a majority of the seats in Parliament. However, parties opposed to the Legal Framework Order effectively paralysed the National Assembly for over a year. The deadlock ended in December 2003, when Musharraf and some of his parliamentary opponents agreed upon a compromise, and pro-Musharraf legislators were able to muster the two-thirds majority required to pass the Seventeenth Amendment, which retroactively legitimized Musharraf's 1999 coup and many of his subsequent decrees. In a vote of confidence on 1 January 2004, Musharraf won 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, was elected to the office of President.

While economic reforms undertaken during his regime have yielded some results, social reform programmes and his liberal views, e.g. on reforming extremist versions of the practices prevalent in Islam, appear to have met with resistance. Musharraf's power is threatened by extremists who have grown in strength since the September 11, 2001 attacks and who are particularly angered by Musharraf's close political and military alliance with the United States, including his support of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. Musharraf has survived several assassination attempts by terrorist groups believed to be part of Al-Qaeda, including at least two instances where the terrorists had inside information from a member of his military security. Pakistan continues to be involved in a dispute over Kashmir, with allegations of support of terrorist groups being levelled against Pakistan by India, while Pakistan charges that the Indian government abuses human rights in its use of military force in the disputed region. What makes this dispute a source of special concern for the world community is, that both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons. It had led to a nuclear standoff in 2002, when Kashmiri-militants (supposedly backed by the ISI) attacked the Indian parliament. In reaction to this, serious diplomatic tensions developed and India and Pakistan deployed 500,000 and 120,000 troops to the border respectively.While the Indo-Pakistani peace process has since made progress, it is sometimes stalled by infrequent insurgent activity in India (including the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings). Pakistan also has been accused of contributing to nuclear proliferation; indeed, its leading nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, admitted to selling nuclear secrets, though he denied government knowledge of his activities.

After the U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan, the Pakistani government, as an ally, sent thousands of troops into the mountainous region of Waziristan in 2002, in search of bin-Laden (whom the U.S. blames for master-minding the 9/11-events) and other heavily armed al-Qaeda members, who had allegedly taken refuge there. In March 2004, heavy fighting broke out at Azam Warsak (near the South Waziristan town of Wana), between Pakistani troops and these militants (estimated to be 400 in number), who were entrenched in several fortified settlements. It was speculated that bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri was among those trapped by the Pakistani Army. On September 5, 2006 a truce was signed with the militants and their local rebel supporters, (who called themselves the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan), in which the rebels were to cease supporting the militants in cross-border attacks on Afghanistan in return for a ceasefire and general amnesty and a hand-over of border-patrolling and check-point responsibilities, till then handled by the Pakistan Army.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif attempted to return from exile on September 10, 2007 but was arrested on corruption charges after landing at Islamabad International Airport. Sharif was then put on a plane bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, whilst outside the airport there were violent confrontations between Sharif's supporters and the police.This did not deter another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, from returning on October 18, 2007 after an eight year exile in Dubai and London, to prepare for the parliamentary elections to be held in 2008.However, on the same day, two suicide bombers attempted to kill Bhutto as she travelled towards a rally in Karachi. Bhutto escaped unharmed but there were 136 casualties and at least 450 people were injured.

On November 3, 2007, General Musharraf proclaimed a state of emergency and sacked the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry along with other 14 judges of the Supreme Court.Lawyers launched a protest against this action but they were arrested. All private media channels were banned including foreign channels. Musharraf declared that the state of emergency would end on December 16, 2007.On November 28, 2007, General Musharraf retired from the Army and the following day was sworn in for a second presidential term.

On November 25, 2007, Nawaz Sharif made a second attempt to return from exile, this time accompanied by his brother, the former Punjab chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif. Hundreds of their supporters, including a few leaders of the party were detained before the pair arrived at Lahore International Airport.The following day, Nawaz Sharif filed his nomination papers for two seats in the forthcoming elections whilst Benazir Bhutto filed for three seats including one of the reserved seats for women.

On December 27, 2007, Benazir Bhutto was leaving an election rally in Rawalpindi when she was assassinated by a gunman who shot her in the neck and set off a bomb,killing 20 other people and injuring several more.The exact sequence of the events and cause of death became points of political debate and controversy, because, although early reports indicated that Bhutto was hit by shrapnel or the gunshots,the Pakistani Interior Ministry stated that she died from a skull fracture sustained when the explosion threw Bhutto against the sunroof of her vehicle.Bhutto's aides rejected this claim and insisted that she suffered two gunshots prior to the bomb detonation.The Interior Ministry subsequently backtracked from its previous claim.However, a subsequent investigation, aided by the Scotland Yard of U.K., supported the "hitting the sun-roof"" as the cause of her death. The Election Commission, after a meeting in Islamabad, announced that, due to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto,the elections, which had been scheduled for 8 January 2008, would take place on 18 February.

A general election was held in Pakistan, according to the revised schedule, on February 18, 2008,).Pakistan's two big and main opposition parties, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML (N)), won majority of seats in the election and formed a government. Although, the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML (Q)) actually was second in the popular vote, the PPP and PML (N) have formed the new coalition-government.

On August 7, the deadlock between ruling parties ended when the coalition government of Pakistan decided to move for the impeachment of the President before heading for the restoration of the deposed judiciary. Moreover, they decided that Parvez Musharraf should face charges of weakening Pakistan's federal structure, violating its constitution and creating economic impasse.

After that, President Parvez Musharraf began consultations with his allies, and with his legal team, on the implications of the impeachment; he said that he was ready to reply to the charges levied upon him and seek the vote of confidence from the senate and the parliament, as required by the coalition parties.

However, on August 18, 2008, President Parvez Musharraf announced in a televised address to the nation that he had decided to resign after nine years in power

Third democratic era (1988-1999)

From 1988 to 1999, Pakistan was ruled by civilian governments, alternately headed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who were each elected twice and removed from office on charges of corruption. During the late 1990s, Pakistan was one of three countries which recognized the Taliban government and Mullah Mohammed Omar as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan.Allegations have been made of Pakistan and other countries providing economic and military aid to the group from 1994 as a part of supporting the anti-Soviet alliance. It is alleged that some post-invasion Taliban fighters were recruits drawn from Pakistan's madrassahs. Economic growth declined towards the end of this period, hurt by the Asian financial crisis, and economic sanctions imposed on Pakistan after its first tests of nuclear devices in 1998. The Pakistani testing came shortly after India tested nuclear devices and increased fears of a nuclear arms race in South Asia. The next year, the Kargil Conflict in Kashmir threatened to escalate to a full-scale war.

In the 1997 election that returned Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister, his party received a heavy majority of the vote, obtaining enough seats in parliament to change the constitution, which Sharif amended to eliminate the formal checks and balances that restrained the Prime Minister's power. Institutional challenges to his authority led by the civilian President Farooq Leghari, military chief Jehangir Karamat and Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah were put down and all three were forced to resign - Shah doing so after the Supreme Court was stormed by Sharif partisans.
 

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