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PAF, AAF drill explores Antarctic wilderness

ghazi52

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PAF, AAF drill explores Antarctic wilderness



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ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman met the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) team, which returned from its first-ever expedition to Antarctic Peninsula.

The expedition, carrying the slogan 'Beat The Extreme' was planned in collaboration with the Argentinean Air Force (AAF). Argentinean Ambassador Ivan Ivanissevich was also present on the occasion.

The air chief appreciated resilience of the PAF team in extreme weather conditions of the Antarctic region. He thanked the Argentinean government for extending this opportunity to PAF personnel and hoped that the bilateral relations between both the countries and air forces would continue to strengthen even further.

He invited the AAF team to visit Pakistan next year for an expedition to the northern areas of Pakistan.

Earlier, an AAF aircraft airlifted a four-member PAF team from Rio Gallegos to Marambio Base, an Argentinean base in Antarctic Peninsula. The team along with the Argentinean counterparts conducted an exercise in the Antarctic wilderness facing extreme weather conditions.

Situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctica - the fifth largest continent - contains the South Pole. About 98% Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 1.9km (6,200ft) in thickness.
 
Pakistan Antarctic Programme
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Pakistan Antarctic Programme (PAP) is a scientific administrative division of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) which represents the Government of Pakistan on the continent of Antarctica. The program coordinates scientific research and operational support in the region. The program is funded by the Pakistan Science Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Technology.[1]

Currently, the PAP maintains and controls two polar stations in the region: the Jinnah Antarctic Station (JNS), and the Polar Research Cell (PRC), which was established by the National Institute of Oceanography to co-ordinate all Antarctic related activities.[2]

The Antarctic Programme was launched by the National Institute of Oceanography, with the full support of Pakistan Navy's Naval Weapons Engineering Division (NWED). In 1991, Prime minister Nawaz Sharif established the programme under the direction of the Navy. On 15 June 1992, Pakistan became an Associate Member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, but did not accede to the Antarctic Treaty due to economic reasons.[3]

In January 1991, Pakistan dispatched its first expedition to Greater Antarctica under the auspices of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).[4] As the programme was led by the Navy, the PN dispatched a small group of Pakistan Marines, along with the team of scientists on board the destroyer PNS Tariq and the research vessel PNS Behr Paima. Facilities were quickly established in the region, and Jinnah Antarctic Station (JNS) was commissioned. The station houses an unmanned automatic Weather Station, from which data are transmitted to Pakistan via Argos Satellite System.[5] In 2001, the Badr-B was connected to the Weather Station after it was launched by SUPARCO. In 2006, Pakistan established the National Institute of Oceanography's Polar Research Cell (PRC).

A number of national organisations are involved in Antarctic activities and are active participants in the Pakistan Antarctic Programme.[6]

Both stations' data are transmitted to Pakistan via the Badr-B Satellite. However, the new Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite System was launched in late 2011 to replace the Badr satellite system program.

 
I have learnt something today
I never even knew we had a base in Antarctica.

Actually, Pakistan was the only Muslim majority country with a Research station in Antarctica.
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Jinnah Station:

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Never underestimate the capabilities of Pakistan. I was also proud when I read about this base the first time on the net.
I was telling my dad that we already have a base in Antarctica ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). He constantly objected me and than I showed him the Jinnah Base and he was like:
44e363cf95464611b57b038d2076e894.png

"Didn't know that"

But it's right, only recently Turkey joined this club:
http://www.takbam.org/
 

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