NOTAMS/NAVAREA IX Navigation Warnings for Exercises/Missile Tests

[Arsalan]

Considering how many of our members keep tabs on the NAVAREA warnings issued by Pakistan Navy and therefore we are able to guess and then discuss the imminent missile tests, i think it is appropriate to make this one thread to share all such updates.

Rather than opening multiple threads for each warning we can keep this updated and discuss all such activities here. I think it will be best if this can be made sticky so everyone keeping an eye on such activities can share the details with other members over here.

To briefly explain the NAVAREA warning system, the world is divided into 21 broadcast areas, called NAVAREAs which transmit maritime safety information such as navigational warnings and weather forecasts. The responsibility of coordination of NAVAREA IX, which includes part of the North Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, was assigned to Pakistan in 1976.

Hydrographer of the Pakistan Navy (HPN), is the area Coordinator. All information relating to navigational safety is received in HPN office at Karachi from 16 National Coordinators of Area IX and from other sources. This information is analyzed, processed and promulgated in the form of navigational warnings to mariners at sea. Hydrographic Department of PN also issues Weekly and Annual summary of Pakistan Notices to mariners in print form for the benefit of the mariners.

Here is on such warning issues yesterday on April 05, 2017:
SECURITY

031500 UTC APR 2017

NAVAREA IX (.) 090/17 (.)PAKISTAN (.) CHARTS PAK 33, 57 (INT 751),
58 (INT 7019), BA 38, 707 AND 4705 (.)

2. NAVAL SHIPS WILL CARRY OUT MISSILE AND GUNNERY FIRING WITH LIVE
AMMUNITION ON 06 AND 07 APR 2017 FROM 0500 TO 0930 UTC IN AREA BOUNDED
BY FOLLOWING COORDINATES:

(A) 24-00N 063-30E
(B) 24-00N 065-30E
(C) 25-30N 063-30E
(D) 25-30N 065-30E

SAFETY HEIGHT: 22500 FEET

3. SHIPS AND CRAFT ARE TO KEEP WELL CLEAR AND NOT TO ENTER ASSIGNED
DANGER AREA ON ABOVE SPECIFIED DATES AND TIME (.)

4. CANCEL THIS MESSAGE ON 071030 UTC APR 2017.

On map it looks like this:

 

[Arsalan]

I think it will be appropriate to make this stick as all such info is scattered all over the forum and if we can use one thread to mention all such activities the data will be better preserved in more compiled form.

For the above, i think it is another test fire of Zarb (C602) missile looking at the coordinates. The range covered by these (diagonally) is around 265km to 280Km so it most likely will be a C602 test.

 

[Arsalan]

@Rashid Mahmood @Quwa @Bilal Khan (Quwa) @araz @fatman17 your thoughts sir? Mostly likely another test firing of Zarb (C602) missile, right? A look at the coordinates indicate that at least.

 

[usamafarooqui2]

@Rashid Mahmood @Quwa @Bilal Khan (Quwa) @araz @fatman17 your thoughts sir? Mostly likely another test firing of Zarb (C602) missile, right? A look at the coordinates indicate that at least.

Probably it will be zarb(C602) but it can be land based ship launch babur

 

[fatman17]

@Rashid Mahmood @Quwa @Bilal Khan (Quwa) @araz @fatman17 your thoughts sir? Mostly likely another test firing of Zarb (C602) missile, right? A look at the coordinates indicate that at least.

It has mentioned 2 ships will carry out missile and gunnery test. so I'm just speculating here. One ship will fire a training round missile and the 2nd ship will fire it's CWIS guns to shoot down the missile.

 

[Sully3]

its the brahmos killer

 

[NakedLunch]

Pakistan has been flexing it's muscles lately. Considering the worldwide attention we are getting it is no surprise. A new-found confidence after years of quagmire. Doesnt matter what is being tested, we are sending messages. The subtext is more important.

 

[DJ_Viper]

It has mentioned 2 ships will carry out missile and gunnery test. so I'm just speculating here. One ship will fire a training round missile and the 2nd ship will fire it's CWIS guns to shoot down the missile.

It doesn't work like that. Are you assuming the CIWS ship will be a "target"? No one live fires at their own ship. There are much simpler ways to test the CIWS on the bank of a river or right by a beech. The CIWS doesn't need water to work.

This will probably be ship to surface missile tests and testing of some ASM's.

 

[fatman17]

It doesn't work like that. Are you assuming the CIWS ship will be a "target"? No one live fires at their own ship. There are much simpler ways to test the CIWS on the bank of a river or right by a beech. The CIWS doesn't need water to work.

This will probably be ship to surface missile tests and testing of some ASM's.

Read my post again for better understanding.

 

[DJ_Viper]

Read my post again for better understanding.

I did read your post. I corrected you as even speculating wasn't justified there. Nothing wrong in adding some explanation there is it?

 

[fatman17]

I did read your post. I corrected you as even speculating wasn't justified there. Nothing wrong in adding some explanation there is it?

No worries mate.

 

[The SC]

SAFETY HEIGHT: 22500 FEET
might be some ship air-defence !? both Missiles and CIWS will be tested..

 

[DJ_Viper]

SAFETY HEIGHT: 22500 FEET
might be some ship air-defence !? both Missiles and CIWS will be tested..

Sir, Civil air traffic usually flies around 30K plus feet around the ocean for various reasons, including a safer, less crowded route and air-pressure, etc. The 22K height is just a safety ceiling. Usually, they avoid air traffic from the entire area if AAM's would be used as a safety measure, as you can't even take a change by test firing an AAM with a Civilian airliner close by. But who knows, you may be right. I am just explaining the normal protocol for such testing. Pakistan's case may be different.

 

[The SC]

Sir, Civil air traffic usually flies around 30K plus feet around the ocean for various reasons, including a safer, less crowded route and air-pressure, etc. The 22K height is just a safety ceiling. Usually, they avoid air traffic from the entire area if AAM's would be used as a safety measure, as you can't even take a change by test firing an AAM with a Civilian airliner close by. But who knows, you may be right. I am just explaining the normal protocol for such testing. Pakistan's case may be different.

The last time the safety height was less than 1500 meters or feet..So that is why this height rang a bell,, and like you said, it might be true or false.. but based on analysis a BMD test will come soon, maybe not this time but it will be done as it is a need of the hour for various reasons,, but like you said, not from a ship though, it will be land based.. and this one might be against cruise missiles or antiship missiles, like Brahmos flying high at first and then very low in the terminal phase, hence the use of both missiles and canons..

 

[DJ_Viper]

The last time the safety height was less than 1500 meters or feet..So that is why this height rang a bell,, and like you said, it might be true or false.. but based on analysis a BMD test will come soon, maybe not this time but it will be done asit is a need of the hour for various reasons,, but like you said, not from a ship though, it will be land based,, but this one might be against cruise missiles or antiship missiles, like Brahmos flying high at first and then very low in the terminal phase, hence the use of both missiles and canons..

Understood. Just some explanation, whenever a NAVAREA warning is issued with a ceiling of 1500 meters, its for a Cruise missile trajectory as the missile's homing isn't looking for an airborne target, its rather a fixed land target.

But whenever you test an AAM in international airspace or sea-route, you empty out the area from air-traffic. Why? Because the AAM's are looking for a plane and you don't want anything else near them just out of abundance of caution. With a missile that's not an AAM but has a depressed trajectory, you might see a higher ceiling of 20k or 22K, etc. But we'll all see what comes out of these tests soon. These posts are just outlining the protocols.