Pakistan Army Aviation Corps - Updated
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Cobras over the frontier.
Since 1947 there has been a regular requirement for the Pakistani military to subdue rebellious tribesmen in the autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the rugged Pakistan-Afghan border.
In the immediate period after Pakistan split from India in 1946, the then RPAF (Royal Pakistan Air Force) took over the ‘watch and ward’ duties previously carried out by the RAF squadrons in the area. Hawker Trmpest II and Fury fighter-bombers periodically rained ‘brimstone and fire’ upon the errant tribesmen.
Eventually a period of relative calm ensued, after which the state had no reason to enter the area in force. Some areas never saw any form of government presence, except perhaps for the occasional ‘political agent’. The Tempest II and Fury have long been consigned to history, but their places have been taken by another aircraft capable of striking fear into the hearts of unruly tribesmen – the AH-1 Cobra.
FATA
The political situation in the FATA remained the same for years, and even during the Jihad (holy war) to eject the soviets from Afghanistan, the central Pakistan government exercised little direct control over the area. In the 1990’s the region became even more remote from government control as its administrative system – which broke down during the influx of massive numbers of refugees and fighters in the 1980’s – disintegrated. In that decade when Pakistan was gripped by financial and political problems, the FATA began to operate as a collection of completely separate fiefdoms. This continued until General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a Coup in 1999 when it was quickly recognized that the situation could not continue in the light of Taliban rule in Afghanistan and the increasing turmoil that was spilling over into Pakistan. Even before September 2001, the Pakistani government was moving to bring these areas under greater state control.
However it was not prepared for the aftermath of the 2001 Allied intervention in Afghanistan. When Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) began in late 2001, thousands of militants sought to escape the coalition onslaught and hide in the FATA where either Taliban supporters and / or foreign fighters attempting to set up bases from which to attack US led forces in Afghanistan. What can only be described as a ‘scramble’ in an attempt to limit the huge number of refugees and militants flowing into Pakistan as its government changed Its policy virtually overnight - from tacit approval of the Taliban to support for the US•led intervention.
Pakistan was already a haven for huge numbers of Afghan refugees who fled first the Soviets and then the civil wars and anarchy of the 1990s. Although this resulted in a massive increase in drug and gun culture, which had a destabilizing effect on Pakistani society, the real problem was the militants. Those taking up arms against the government largely comprised three groups - tribal fighters indigenous to the region who sometimes signed peace deals with the government; 'guns for hire' (basically smugglers or other criminals whose income had lessened because of the increased presence of government forces to restrict movement across the border); and ideologically driven militants, both domestic and foreign.
The criminal element accepts money from any source to take up arms against the government, to compensate for its loss in revenue. In this regard, it has proved a useful tool for any internal or external power with a grudge against the government, or against Pakistan in general. The foreign fighters are generally more ruthless, and come mostly from the Central Asian or Arab states (those which failed to deal adequately with their disaffected citizens), the Uzbeks being perceived as the most barbaric. During the jihad against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, it seems to have been the practice for countries to 'export' their Islamic extremists to Afghanistan in the hope they would be 'martyred', or at least cease to be a cause for concern by their home country. This led in particular to the presence in Afghanistan of such notables as Ayman AI•Zarahwi, later the ideological head (if not the true leader) of al•Qaeda, who had been released from detention in Egypt and allowed to leave the country by the government despite being an active extremist.
In the 1990s these decisions backfired badly on some Moslem countries. As hardened extremists returned home after 'defeating' the Russians in Afghanistan, they felt confident of 'divine intervention' in attempting to transform their home states In accordance with their own twisted understanding of Islam. Campaigns against them by state security services killed many (as seen in Egypt in the massacre at Luxor in November 1997 and its aftermath), and forced others to flee.
Searching for a refuge, they found no better place than Afghanistan and the lawless tribal belt they had come to know so well. In many cases, extremists who have holed up in the FATA have co-opted local tribes to support their cause via propaganda, or copious amounts of money. Faced with such dogged adversaries firmly entrenched in infamously difficult terrain, the Pakistan Army's AH-l Cobras have been invaluable in helping ground forces during the heavy fighting which has gone on there -see Sordgeh Ops [below].
Enter the Cobra
The Pakistan Army (PA) acquired its Cobras in 1984 as part of the US arms supplies it amassed to help in any possible Soviet aggression, and the aircraft were centrally based in Multan with the 33rd Army Aviation Combat Squadron (MCS). The PA operates the AH-1 F variant, which has been upgraded with the 'C-NITE' system to be fully night-capable. The Cobras were purchased principally (though obviously not exclusively) as an anti-armor weapon. Their primary armament is the TOW and TOW-II anti•tank guided missile (ATGM), a highly accurate weapon which has repeatedly proved itself, and which has been much-praised by crews. The system has been vital in minimizing collateral damage, and has proved highly effective in attacking militants either entrenched behind stone walls or taking refuge in the fort•type of housing found along the tribal belt.
In avoiding civilian casualties, accurate weapon delivery is coupled with the need for good intelligence. All information is checked, re—checked and cross-checked before the AH-1F goes into action as civilian deaths would be used as a 'recruiting card' for the militants. However, the Cobra crews have the final say on whether to fire, and this has led to a number of close calls being avoided in Baluchistan and on the frontier. For close support work, seven or 19 round 2.75-in’ rocket pods can also be carried, and the chin turret houses a M197 three-barreled 20mm cannon. As those on the receiving end can attest, the Cobra's bite is deadly.
Operating along the frontier in support of ground troops, the PA Cobra crews have tapped into the experiences of the Soviet Mil Mi-24 Hind crews in Afghanistan in the 1980s, plus their own training, which has benefited from US expertise in operating the type since Vietnam.
With American training, lhe Cobras fly in conjunction with the Bell 407 jet ranger, which is used operationally in a similar manner to the US Army Kiowas, (though it is not as capable, as it lacks a comparable sensor fit). The 33rd AACS 'won its spurs' in Somalia in the early 1990s when it supported the UN mission there, and consequently has built up a wealth of experience in its own right.
Operations
Sweeps of the fATA (and indeed the whole frontier), aimed at recovering prohibited weaponry, regularly produce the ubiquitous RPG-7s, mines, mortars, rocket and light artillery pieces, plus staggering quantities of ammunition. With 'cottage industries' churning out vast quantities of guns for the local arms bazaar, it seems to be mandatory for the locals to carry an AK-47, as is the secretion of 'heavier weapons’ (usually medium or even heavy caliber mortars or machine gum, plus light rocket artillery) In case tribal disputes gel out of hand. There has also been a fear that MAN PADS (Man Portable AIr Defence Systems), such as the deadly US Stinger left over from the Afghan jihad of the 1980s, or Russian types such as the SA-? Grail, acquired in the Central Asian arms bazaar, might have found their way into the region. In recognition of this potential threat, the extended engine exhaust above the tail should help protect the Cobras, along with the AN/ALQ-144 IRCM (infra-red counter-measure) unit.
For the Cobras, and indeed all the Pakistan Army Aviation units, operations have increased markedly since 2002, having become continuous since 2003. The Cobras are now in a constant state of readiness, as they must respond quickly whenever a threat develops. A great bonus for the Cobra is its ability to operate 'round the clock', which puts the militants at a distinct disadvantage. During a night raid in June 2004, two TOW missile-equipped Cobras attacked a house where a notorious pro-Taliban tribal leader and general brigand, Nek Mohammed was hiding out. Such was his holiness (' Nek' loosely means 'holy' or 'pious') that he had been responsible for sheltering foreign militants and for high-profile attacks on Pakistani troops, and had threatened to expand his campaign of terror to Pakistani cities.
Ironically, the Americans had released him from custody in Guantanamo Bay after he had been deemed 'not a threat'. However, despite his anti-state activities and his appetite for media attention, he had not reckoned with the Cobra's ability to attack him at night, and died whilst speaking to journalists on his satellite phone.
This strike capability has since been displayed a number of times, most recently in the strike on Bajaur in late 2006, when a large number of militants were killed in a pre-dawn strike on a terrorist training camp. In the days leading up to the strike, the occupants had been warned to desist from their illegal activities, but had ignored this. The strike was carried out by two Cobras with no warning - the authorities had found that prior notification only allowed the 'big fish' to escape whilst 'cannon fodder' gave covering fire and were invariably ' martyred ' and later 'avenged'. The Bajaur strike was a textbook example in dealing with this kind of target. A similar raid took place in May when a Taliban training camp 20 miles (30km) south of Miranshah was attacked by troops backed by Cobras. As usual the militants, said to have been Uzbeks, refused to surrender and opened fire on the tribal elders sent to request them to lay down their arms. In the ensuing battle, the Cobras lent a decisive hand and the camp was destroyed, but controversy followed when the elders blamed the security forces, rather than the militants, for the fighting. Such developments are not unusual, and make the job of the security forces doubly difficult.
However, such successes have led to use of the Cobra being perceived by militants and the media alike as an 'escalation' of the fighting, much In the way of tanks being used to quell a street protest. The Cobra has a good psychological effect. For the militants, who have no answer to this aircraft, the mere presence of one circling overhead inspires fear.
New arrivals
As in Afghanistan, fighting against the militants usually rises to a peak in the summer months; Pakistani security forces have fought a vicious campaign in the Waziristan area. The Cobras have been heavily tasked in this harsh and unforgiving landscape, which lends itself naturally to guerrilla warfare. The aircraft's effectiveness is testament to its brilliant design. Operations here were somewhat limited by the small number of Cobras available (18), though the force received a welcome boost when the new batch of eight (which arrived in November last year) became fully operational. These were delivered by the US in recognition of Pakistan's efforts against the militants along the western border, and in the ongoing hunt of the al-Qaeda network. Again, these were C-NITE-equipped AH-l F Cobras, part of a US$50 million foreign military sales program, designed to slip seamlessly into the on-going Cobra operations. Though 40 years old, they were completely refurbished before being transferred to PAA at Qasim airbase near Islamabad.
Airborne operations
The overall rise in the number of airborne assets becoming available has brought about an increase in army aviation operations, and a new heli-borne force has been formed to locate, apprehend or kill terrorists hiding on Pakistani soil. Currently, the PA can call upon Puma, Mi-17 Hip, and 26 fairly recently transferred Bell 412s (which arrived with the further batch of four refurbished Cobras) serving with the 25th Army Aviation Squadron.
The Bell 412 is fully NVG (Night Vision Goggle) capable, and is used by Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) personnel, who carry out targeted night raids on suspected terrorists. The SOTF is a recent formation, raised with American help and equipped largely with US equipment. Specially trained in airborne operations, it is the primary rapid response unit employed in the search for al-Qaeda and Taliban fugitives in the 'badlands' on the Pakistani side of the Afghan-Pakistan border. The usual method of operations is for an area to be cordoned off by the Frontier Corps/Frontier Constabulary (FC, two para-military organizations which do essentially the same job), while the Cobras spearhead the aviation element by leading the SOTF (or occasionally the regular army) on board Bell 412 or Hip helicopters.
Clearing the given area sometimes requires moving from house to house, killing or apprehending wanted militants. The Cobras continue to provide support while the transports leave. These are essentially small-scale airborne operations. The Cobras have been an integral part of SOTF missions, and their round-the-clock availability allows them to bring overwhelming firepower to bear against any targets identified. For more intensive operations, the Cobras and the SOTF may be joined by elements of the SSG.
The Future
Perhaps the main problem is that there has been no Afghanistan-Pakistan border since 1947 as the Afghan government has never accepted its permanence. Successive Pakistani governments have also thought that friendly, or at least amiable, relations with Afghanistan would give Pakistan an element of strategic depth. Furthermore, the Pathan tribes pay little attention to the border as they have family ties on both sides. For these reasons, the border was never militarily secured and the FC was only tasked with holding certain entry/ exit points.
This policy has now changed and the border will have to be secured militarily and patrolled. Efforts to fence off sections and mine them are already underway in an effort to check movement in and out of Pakistan. In the long term, it is hoped that this will leave the Taliban and al-Qaeda trapped in Afghanistan, though the short to medium term is likely to bring more fighting on Pakistani soil.
It is dear that the PA's small Cobra force will fly at the sharp end of the fight against terrorism for the foreseeable future. The rise in operational tempo may require the number of Cobras to be further increased, though this is currently uncertain, as are the rumors of new types of helicopter gunships. These may not come from America (although further Cobras or perhaps even AH-64 Apaches - would be welcome). The Italian Mangusta is a possibility (particularly as it was recently ordered by Turkey), as is the Chinese WZ-10, or even a Russian type (most likely to come via Ukraine, though interest has allegedly been expressed in the Russian Mil Mi-28 Havoc).
It is the Hind which is probably best suited to fighting on the frontier because of its ruggedness and firepower. However, if new gunships are to be procured in the future, the Bell AH•l Z may be the ideal choice, not only because it is the latest incarnation of the type, but also because it has twin engines, rather than the single engine of the AH-l F.
Whatever the future holds, it will be tough for the small Cobra force. What is certain, though, is that the Cobra will continue to be regarded with dread by those who take up arms against Pakistan and its people. Its basic design may be many years old, but there can be no denying that, like its reptilian namesake, its bite is deadly.
Sardgeh Op
In March 2006 the Cobras were called upon to help extract an SSG (Special Services Group) team which had been ambushed outside the village of Sardgeh, near the town of Wana in South Waziristan. The target was a training compound, but unknown to the SSG team the chosen drop zone had been identified by the terrorists as a potential helicopter landing spot, and they had built and manned concealed firing positions around it. This was a tactic used by the Mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan, which leads to the conclusion that the terrorists were highly experienced fighters. As the S5G team disembarked from the Hip transports and took up positions, what seemed to be the whole village came out firing every available weapon. One of the SSG team members was immediately felled, and the rest were pinned down, unable to move without inviting a hail of gunfire.
The Hips, which made attractive targets, barely managed to take off without getting shot down. As they tried to return and extract the team, they were repeatedly driven off by intense fire. One was hit and badly damaged by an RPG-7, but managed to limp away.
The six Cobras supporting the mission immediately swung into action, though it quickly became clear that they would have to abandon their stand-off capability and move in close if the SSG team was to be saved. They made repeated passes over the area, laying down suppressing fire in an effort to clear the way for the Hips to come in and pick up the team. Such was the intensity of fire that all six Cobras received hits from small arms, but nothing vital was damaged and they all retumed to base safely. It was entirely due to their suppressive fire that the Hips were able to brave the much reduced small arms fire to extract the team, which lost only one man. To date, this has been the Cobras' most dangerous mission.
Pakistan Army AH-l S
ALTHOUGH THE Pakistan Army still operates 20 of the AH-l S delivered in the mid-1980s, the figures were boosted by the delivery of a further eight Cobras on November 16, 2007. They were handed over by the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Ryan C Crocker, who said on that occasion "Pakistan has posted 80,000 troops to the Afghan border and has killed more than 700 militants in the anti-terror operations going on there. Regrettably, it has lost 400 Pakistanis in actions related to the War on Terror"
The first batch of a total of 40 Night Capable (C-N1TE) Cobras the US is donating to Pakistan is part of a five-year security assistance program that began in 2003. To date 12 Cobras have been delivered and the rest will follow by June this year, raising the Pakistan Army's strength of Cobras to 39.
Acknowledgment;
Special thanks to Lt. Col. 8 H Malik, Maj. M Khan, Maj. Aurangzeb (ISPR); Bng. K Mahmood, and officers and men of 33rd AACS and 25th AAS.
AFM
Since 1947 there has been a regular requirement for the Pakistani military to subdue rebellious tribesmen in the autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the rugged Pakistan-Afghan border.
In the immediate period after Pakistan split from India in 1946, the then RPAF (Royal Pakistan Air Force) took over the ‘watch and ward’ duties previously carried out by the RAF squadrons in the area. Hawker Trmpest II and Fury fighter-bombers periodically rained ‘brimstone and fire’ upon the errant tribesmen.
Eventually a period of relative calm ensued, after which the state had no reason to enter the area in force. Some areas never saw any form of government presence, except perhaps for the occasional ‘political agent’. The Tempest II and Fury have long been consigned to history, but their places have been taken by another aircraft capable of striking fear into the hearts of unruly tribesmen – the AH-1 Cobra.
FATA
The political situation in the FATA remained the same for years, and even during the Jihad (holy war) to eject the soviets from Afghanistan, the central Pakistan government exercised little direct control over the area. In the 1990’s the region became even more remote from government control as its administrative system – which broke down during the influx of massive numbers of refugees and fighters in the 1980’s – disintegrated. In that decade when Pakistan was gripped by financial and political problems, the FATA began to operate as a collection of completely separate fiefdoms. This continued until General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a Coup in 1999 when it was quickly recognized that the situation could not continue in the light of Taliban rule in Afghanistan and the increasing turmoil that was spilling over into Pakistan. Even before September 2001, the Pakistani government was moving to bring these areas under greater state control.
However it was not prepared for the aftermath of the 2001 Allied intervention in Afghanistan. When Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) began in late 2001, thousands of militants sought to escape the coalition onslaught and hide in the FATA where either Taliban supporters and / or foreign fighters attempting to set up bases from which to attack US led forces in Afghanistan. What can only be described as a ‘scramble’ in an attempt to limit the huge number of refugees and militants flowing into Pakistan as its government changed Its policy virtually overnight - from tacit approval of the Taliban to support for the US•led intervention.
Pakistan was already a haven for huge numbers of Afghan refugees who fled first the Soviets and then the civil wars and anarchy of the 1990s. Although this resulted in a massive increase in drug and gun culture, which had a destabilizing effect on Pakistani society, the real problem was the militants. Those taking up arms against the government largely comprised three groups - tribal fighters indigenous to the region who sometimes signed peace deals with the government; 'guns for hire' (basically smugglers or other criminals whose income had lessened because of the increased presence of government forces to restrict movement across the border); and ideologically driven militants, both domestic and foreign.
The criminal element accepts money from any source to take up arms against the government, to compensate for its loss in revenue. In this regard, it has proved a useful tool for any internal or external power with a grudge against the government, or against Pakistan in general. The foreign fighters are generally more ruthless, and come mostly from the Central Asian or Arab states (those which failed to deal adequately with their disaffected citizens), the Uzbeks being perceived as the most barbaric. During the jihad against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, it seems to have been the practice for countries to 'export' their Islamic extremists to Afghanistan in the hope they would be 'martyred', or at least cease to be a cause for concern by their home country. This led in particular to the presence in Afghanistan of such notables as Ayman AI•Zarahwi, later the ideological head (if not the true leader) of al•Qaeda, who had been released from detention in Egypt and allowed to leave the country by the government despite being an active extremist.
In the 1990s these decisions backfired badly on some Moslem countries. As hardened extremists returned home after 'defeating' the Russians in Afghanistan, they felt confident of 'divine intervention' in attempting to transform their home states In accordance with their own twisted understanding of Islam. Campaigns against them by state security services killed many (as seen in Egypt in the massacre at Luxor in November 1997 and its aftermath), and forced others to flee.
Searching for a refuge, they found no better place than Afghanistan and the lawless tribal belt they had come to know so well. In many cases, extremists who have holed up in the FATA have co-opted local tribes to support their cause via propaganda, or copious amounts of money. Faced with such dogged adversaries firmly entrenched in infamously difficult terrain, the Pakistan Army's AH-l Cobras have been invaluable in helping ground forces during the heavy fighting which has gone on there -see Sordgeh Ops [below].
Enter the Cobra
The Pakistan Army (PA) acquired its Cobras in 1984 as part of the US arms supplies it amassed to help in any possible Soviet aggression, and the aircraft were centrally based in Multan with the 33rd Army Aviation Combat Squadron (MCS). The PA operates the AH-1 F variant, which has been upgraded with the 'C-NITE' system to be fully night-capable. The Cobras were purchased principally (though obviously not exclusively) as an anti-armor weapon. Their primary armament is the TOW and TOW-II anti•tank guided missile (ATGM), a highly accurate weapon which has repeatedly proved itself, and which has been much-praised by crews. The system has been vital in minimizing collateral damage, and has proved highly effective in attacking militants either entrenched behind stone walls or taking refuge in the fort•type of housing found along the tribal belt.
In avoiding civilian casualties, accurate weapon delivery is coupled with the need for good intelligence. All information is checked, re—checked and cross-checked before the AH-1F goes into action as civilian deaths would be used as a 'recruiting card' for the militants. However, the Cobra crews have the final say on whether to fire, and this has led to a number of close calls being avoided in Baluchistan and on the frontier. For close support work, seven or 19 round 2.75-in’ rocket pods can also be carried, and the chin turret houses a M197 three-barreled 20mm cannon. As those on the receiving end can attest, the Cobra's bite is deadly.
Operating along the frontier in support of ground troops, the PA Cobra crews have tapped into the experiences of the Soviet Mil Mi-24 Hind crews in Afghanistan in the 1980s, plus their own training, which has benefited from US expertise in operating the type since Vietnam.
With American training, lhe Cobras fly in conjunction with the Bell 407 jet ranger, which is used operationally in a similar manner to the US Army Kiowas, (though it is not as capable, as it lacks a comparable sensor fit). The 33rd AACS 'won its spurs' in Somalia in the early 1990s when it supported the UN mission there, and consequently has built up a wealth of experience in its own right.
Operations
Sweeps of the fATA (and indeed the whole frontier), aimed at recovering prohibited weaponry, regularly produce the ubiquitous RPG-7s, mines, mortars, rocket and light artillery pieces, plus staggering quantities of ammunition. With 'cottage industries' churning out vast quantities of guns for the local arms bazaar, it seems to be mandatory for the locals to carry an AK-47, as is the secretion of 'heavier weapons’ (usually medium or even heavy caliber mortars or machine gum, plus light rocket artillery) In case tribal disputes gel out of hand. There has also been a fear that MAN PADS (Man Portable AIr Defence Systems), such as the deadly US Stinger left over from the Afghan jihad of the 1980s, or Russian types such as the SA-? Grail, acquired in the Central Asian arms bazaar, might have found their way into the region. In recognition of this potential threat, the extended engine exhaust above the tail should help protect the Cobras, along with the AN/ALQ-144 IRCM (infra-red counter-measure) unit.
For the Cobras, and indeed all the Pakistan Army Aviation units, operations have increased markedly since 2002, having become continuous since 2003. The Cobras are now in a constant state of readiness, as they must respond quickly whenever a threat develops. A great bonus for the Cobra is its ability to operate 'round the clock', which puts the militants at a distinct disadvantage. During a night raid in June 2004, two TOW missile-equipped Cobras attacked a house where a notorious pro-Taliban tribal leader and general brigand, Nek Mohammed was hiding out. Such was his holiness (' Nek' loosely means 'holy' or 'pious') that he had been responsible for sheltering foreign militants and for high-profile attacks on Pakistani troops, and had threatened to expand his campaign of terror to Pakistani cities.
Ironically, the Americans had released him from custody in Guantanamo Bay after he had been deemed 'not a threat'. However, despite his anti-state activities and his appetite for media attention, he had not reckoned with the Cobra's ability to attack him at night, and died whilst speaking to journalists on his satellite phone.
This strike capability has since been displayed a number of times, most recently in the strike on Bajaur in late 2006, when a large number of militants were killed in a pre-dawn strike on a terrorist training camp. In the days leading up to the strike, the occupants had been warned to desist from their illegal activities, but had ignored this. The strike was carried out by two Cobras with no warning - the authorities had found that prior notification only allowed the 'big fish' to escape whilst 'cannon fodder' gave covering fire and were invariably ' martyred ' and later 'avenged'. The Bajaur strike was a textbook example in dealing with this kind of target. A similar raid took place in May when a Taliban training camp 20 miles (30km) south of Miranshah was attacked by troops backed by Cobras. As usual the militants, said to have been Uzbeks, refused to surrender and opened fire on the tribal elders sent to request them to lay down their arms. In the ensuing battle, the Cobras lent a decisive hand and the camp was destroyed, but controversy followed when the elders blamed the security forces, rather than the militants, for the fighting. Such developments are not unusual, and make the job of the security forces doubly difficult.
However, such successes have led to use of the Cobra being perceived by militants and the media alike as an 'escalation' of the fighting, much In the way of tanks being used to quell a street protest. The Cobra has a good psychological effect. For the militants, who have no answer to this aircraft, the mere presence of one circling overhead inspires fear.
New arrivals
As in Afghanistan, fighting against the militants usually rises to a peak in the summer months; Pakistani security forces have fought a vicious campaign in the Waziristan area. The Cobras have been heavily tasked in this harsh and unforgiving landscape, which lends itself naturally to guerrilla warfare. The aircraft's effectiveness is testament to its brilliant design. Operations here were somewhat limited by the small number of Cobras available (18), though the force received a welcome boost when the new batch of eight (which arrived in November last year) became fully operational. These were delivered by the US in recognition of Pakistan's efforts against the militants along the western border, and in the ongoing hunt of the al-Qaeda network. Again, these were C-NITE-equipped AH-l F Cobras, part of a US$50 million foreign military sales program, designed to slip seamlessly into the on-going Cobra operations. Though 40 years old, they were completely refurbished before being transferred to PAA at Qasim airbase near Islamabad.
Airborne operations
The overall rise in the number of airborne assets becoming available has brought about an increase in army aviation operations, and a new heli-borne force has been formed to locate, apprehend or kill terrorists hiding on Pakistani soil. Currently, the PA can call upon Puma, Mi-17 Hip, and 26 fairly recently transferred Bell 412s (which arrived with the further batch of four refurbished Cobras) serving with the 25th Army Aviation Squadron.
The Bell 412 is fully NVG (Night Vision Goggle) capable, and is used by Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) personnel, who carry out targeted night raids on suspected terrorists. The SOTF is a recent formation, raised with American help and equipped largely with US equipment. Specially trained in airborne operations, it is the primary rapid response unit employed in the search for al-Qaeda and Taliban fugitives in the 'badlands' on the Pakistani side of the Afghan-Pakistan border. The usual method of operations is for an area to be cordoned off by the Frontier Corps/Frontier Constabulary (FC, two para-military organizations which do essentially the same job), while the Cobras spearhead the aviation element by leading the SOTF (or occasionally the regular army) on board Bell 412 or Hip helicopters.
Clearing the given area sometimes requires moving from house to house, killing or apprehending wanted militants. The Cobras continue to provide support while the transports leave. These are essentially small-scale airborne operations. The Cobras have been an integral part of SOTF missions, and their round-the-clock availability allows them to bring overwhelming firepower to bear against any targets identified. For more intensive operations, the Cobras and the SOTF may be joined by elements of the SSG.
The Future
Perhaps the main problem is that there has been no Afghanistan-Pakistan border since 1947 as the Afghan government has never accepted its permanence. Successive Pakistani governments have also thought that friendly, or at least amiable, relations with Afghanistan would give Pakistan an element of strategic depth. Furthermore, the Pathan tribes pay little attention to the border as they have family ties on both sides. For these reasons, the border was never militarily secured and the FC was only tasked with holding certain entry/ exit points.
This policy has now changed and the border will have to be secured militarily and patrolled. Efforts to fence off sections and mine them are already underway in an effort to check movement in and out of Pakistan. In the long term, it is hoped that this will leave the Taliban and al-Qaeda trapped in Afghanistan, though the short to medium term is likely to bring more fighting on Pakistani soil.
It is dear that the PA's small Cobra force will fly at the sharp end of the fight against terrorism for the foreseeable future. The rise in operational tempo may require the number of Cobras to be further increased, though this is currently uncertain, as are the rumors of new types of helicopter gunships. These may not come from America (although further Cobras or perhaps even AH-64 Apaches - would be welcome). The Italian Mangusta is a possibility (particularly as it was recently ordered by Turkey), as is the Chinese WZ-10, or even a Russian type (most likely to come via Ukraine, though interest has allegedly been expressed in the Russian Mil Mi-28 Havoc).
It is the Hind which is probably best suited to fighting on the frontier because of its ruggedness and firepower. However, if new gunships are to be procured in the future, the Bell AH•l Z may be the ideal choice, not only because it is the latest incarnation of the type, but also because it has twin engines, rather than the single engine of the AH-l F.
Whatever the future holds, it will be tough for the small Cobra force. What is certain, though, is that the Cobra will continue to be regarded with dread by those who take up arms against Pakistan and its people. Its basic design may be many years old, but there can be no denying that, like its reptilian namesake, its bite is deadly.
Sardgeh Op
In March 2006 the Cobras were called upon to help extract an SSG (Special Services Group) team which had been ambushed outside the village of Sardgeh, near the town of Wana in South Waziristan. The target was a training compound, but unknown to the SSG team the chosen drop zone had been identified by the terrorists as a potential helicopter landing spot, and they had built and manned concealed firing positions around it. This was a tactic used by the Mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan, which leads to the conclusion that the terrorists were highly experienced fighters. As the S5G team disembarked from the Hip transports and took up positions, what seemed to be the whole village came out firing every available weapon. One of the SSG team members was immediately felled, and the rest were pinned down, unable to move without inviting a hail of gunfire.
The Hips, which made attractive targets, barely managed to take off without getting shot down. As they tried to return and extract the team, they were repeatedly driven off by intense fire. One was hit and badly damaged by an RPG-7, but managed to limp away.
The six Cobras supporting the mission immediately swung into action, though it quickly became clear that they would have to abandon their stand-off capability and move in close if the SSG team was to be saved. They made repeated passes over the area, laying down suppressing fire in an effort to clear the way for the Hips to come in and pick up the team. Such was the intensity of fire that all six Cobras received hits from small arms, but nothing vital was damaged and they all retumed to base safely. It was entirely due to their suppressive fire that the Hips were able to brave the much reduced small arms fire to extract the team, which lost only one man. To date, this has been the Cobras' most dangerous mission.
Pakistan Army AH-l S
ALTHOUGH THE Pakistan Army still operates 20 of the AH-l S delivered in the mid-1980s, the figures were boosted by the delivery of a further eight Cobras on November 16, 2007. They were handed over by the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Ryan C Crocker, who said on that occasion "Pakistan has posted 80,000 troops to the Afghan border and has killed more than 700 militants in the anti-terror operations going on there. Regrettably, it has lost 400 Pakistanis in actions related to the War on Terror"
The first batch of a total of 40 Night Capable (C-N1TE) Cobras the US is donating to Pakistan is part of a five-year security assistance program that began in 2003. To date 12 Cobras have been delivered and the rest will follow by June this year, raising the Pakistan Army's strength of Cobras to 39.
Acknowledgment;
Special thanks to Lt. Col. 8 H Malik, Maj. M Khan, Maj. Aurangzeb (ISPR); Bng. K Mahmood, and officers and men of 33rd AACS and 25th AAS.
AFM
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AH-1Z will be available for export in 2014/15, i think we will get new ones and i hope this deal go through according to the plan.
Nishan_101
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Coming soon (2014-15) ex-USAF AH-1Z Cobra.
Its better to get ATAK or Z-10P instead of this.
Nishan_101
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Nishan_101
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Somwhere Taimikhan said that he saw something on a Bell 412 flying out of peshawar AFB, was it something like this?
Is Z-9 in the similar class as this:
Fatman bhai, just for my knowledge, I know this isn't classified data that you are providing, but wouldn't this be in the anti towards national interests or is such squadron data available for all other armed forces? Thanks
Last Hope
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You think all the data he has posted, is not already available to other Intelligence agencies?
He has posted nothing classified.
Fieldmarshal
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Coming soon (2014-15) ex-USAF AH-1Z Cobra.
usaf does not operate any cobra and it is only the us marines that operate the Z model
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By the time we get AH-1Z, ATAK and AH-1Z will be available for export both have to full fill domestic demand first and by that time their systems will be mature as well.
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