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Pakistan, China begin joint military exercise
DAWN.COM
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Troops of Pakistan Army and People Liberation Army China, establishing a medical city during joint military exercise " Peace angel 2014" — Photo courtesy of ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Two week long Pak-China Joint military exercise "Peace Angel 2014" commenced on Sunday near the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

"Peace Angel 2014" would certainly pave the way for further cementing the existing bilateral relations between armies of the two countries, according to a statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The statement added that the joint exercise aimed at sharing mutual experience and information in medical field through a comprehensive training programme in near real time environment.

Flags of both countries were hoisted and national anthem played to mark the opening of the military exercise.
Pakistan Army's Major General Hamayun Aziz, and senior colonel Liu Agiou of the People Liberation Army China, represented their respective countries in the opening ceremony.

The exercise was particularly designed within the scope of disaster relief operations caused due to massive floods and terrorist attacks on relief camps.

It would also provide an opportunity to exchange latest technological advancement in medical field to improve medical operations during peace and war.
 
HIT reveals new information on Al Khalid-I MBT

Author:Daksg Nakra, Kuala Lumpur
Last posted:2014-04-23

Officials from Pakistan's Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) disclosed new information about the greatly anticipated Al Khalid-Improved (I) main battle tank (MBT) during the recent DSA 2014 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur.

Brigadier Ghulam Murtaza Qureshi (rtd), HIT's director of budget, marketing and procurement, stated that the development is being fast-tracked and the company plans to showcase the tank during the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar 2014 (IDEAS 2014) in Islamabad in December.

The development of the new MBT began earlier in the decade and Qureshi said it is around 50% complete. Some reports suggested it was being co-developed with China's NORINCO and was a version of China's MBT-3000.

Qureshi claimed this was incorrect and that the Al Khalid-I is an indigenous development of Pakistan's mainstay tank, the Al Khalid, which was jointly developed in the early 1990s with NORINCO (known in China as the MBT-2000) and commissioned in 2001.

The Pakistan Army's Armoured Corps operates about 420 Al Khalid MBTs, along with Al Zarrar (Type 59/59M), Type 69, Type 85 IIAP and T-80UD tanks. The Al Khalid-I will replace approximately 300 Type 85s and 320 T-80s, which are known to operate in semi-desert and desert areas of the country.

The existing Al Khalid is powered by a Ukrainian 6TD-2 power pack developing a maximum power of 1,200 bhp. It also features integrated battle management, auto transmission control, muzzle reference and active threat protection systems.

Qureshi added that the design concept of the Al Khalid-I is primarily based on further refining and improving mobility, firepower and protection. Initially, the design featured around 10 major changes over the Al Khalid hull, but due to rising costs and budgetary constraints, this has been reduced to six.

These include a new 1,500 bhp power pack to improve its power-to-weight ratio and a digital driver manual. The HIT official confirmed that it would retain the 125 mm smoothbore barrel. As of April 2014, trials are under way to finalise the new power pack. These details concur with comments at IDEAS 2012 by a senior official at Pakistan's Ministry of Defence Procurement who told said that an improved version would feature a more powerful diesel power pack, improved command and control and better night-fighting capabilities.

HIT plans to complete trials of the Al Khalid-I with the Pakistani Army by the first quarter of 2015 and based on results, it is hoping to achieve low rate initial production by June 2015. HIT currently has the capability to roll out 20-40 Al Khalid MBTs a year, suggesting it will look to achieve a similar production schedule for the improved version.

JDW
 
HIT reveals new information on Al Khalid-I MBT

Author:Daksg Nakra, Kuala Lumpur
Last posted:2014-04-23

Officials from Pakistan's Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) disclosed new information about the greatly anticipated Al Khalid-Improved (I) main battle tank (MBT) during the recent DSA 2014 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur.

Brigadier Ghulam Murtaza Qureshi (rtd), HIT's director of budget, marketing and procurement, stated that the development is being fast-tracked and the company plans to showcase the tank during the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar 2014 (IDEAS 2014) in Islamabad in December.

The development of the new MBT began earlier in the decade and Qureshi said it is around 50% complete. Some reports suggested it was being co-developed with China's NORINCO and was a version of China's MBT-3000.

Qureshi claimed this was incorrect and that the Al Khalid-I is an indigenous development of Pakistan's mainstay tank, the Al Khalid, which was jointly developed in the early 1990s with NORINCO (known in China as the MBT-2000) and commissioned in 2001.

The Pakistan Army's Armoured Corps operates about 420 Al Khalid MBTs, along with Al Zarrar (Type 59/59M), Type 69, Type 85 IIAP and T-80UD tanks. The Al Khalid-I will replace approximately 300 Type 85s and 320 T-80s, which are known to operate in semi-desert and desert areas of the country.

The existing Al Khalid is powered by a Ukrainian 6TD-2 power pack developing a maximum power of 1,200 bhp. It also features integrated battle management, auto transmission control, muzzle reference and active threat protection systems.

Qureshi added that the design concept of the Al Khalid-I is primarily based on further refining and improving mobility, firepower and protection. Initially, the design featured around 10 major changes over the Al Khalid hull, but due to rising costs and budgetary constraints, this has been reduced to six.

These include a new 1,500 bhp power pack to improve its power-to-weight ratio and a digital driver manual. The HIT official confirmed that it would retain the 125 mm smoothbore barrel. As of April 2014, trials are under way to finalise the new power pack. These details concur with comments at IDEAS 2012 by a senior official at Pakistan's Ministry of Defence Procurement who told said that an improved version would feature a more powerful diesel power pack, improved command and control and better night-fighting capabilities.

HIT plans to complete trials of the Al Khalid-I with the Pakistani Army by the first quarter of 2015 and based on results, it is hoping to achieve low rate initial production by June 2015. HIT currently has the capability to roll out 20-40 Al Khalid MBTs a year, suggesting it will look to achieve a similar production schedule for the improved version.

JDW

New Version of Al-Khalid tank???
 
Rawalpindi - April 23, 2014: Lieutenant General Ishafq Nadeem Ahmed, installed Colonel Commandant AK Regiment. COAS pinning badges to formally install Lieutenant General Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed, Chief of General Staff as Colonel Commandant of Azad Kashmir Regiment. Ceremony was held at AK Regimental Centre near Attock.
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April 24, 2014: In the last year the United States has resumed shipping military equipment to Pakistan. These shipments were halted after the 2011 U.S. raid into Pakistan to get Osama bin Laden. Pakistan was unhappy with this raid and retaliated which led to the U.S. halting military aid. All of that was sort-of patched up in 2013. Thus in the last year Pakistan received several major items, including high-end military radios, upgrades for 35 Pakistani F-16s and on the way are 374 upgraded M113 armored personnel carriers. Between 2002 and 2011 Pakistan received a lot more. This included four refurbished P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. Three of these were destroyed by Islamic terrorists in 2011 but four more are on the way. Items already received include 14 F-16A jets, 59 T-37 jet trainers, nearly 6,000 military radio sets, 2,007 TOW anti-tank guided missiles; six AN/TPS-77 surveillance radars, six refurbished C-130E transport aircraft, a refurbished Perry class frigate, 12 refurbished AH-1F helicopter gunships (with eight more to come) and professional training for over 2,000 Pakistani military officers. Pakistan was also allowed to buy (with its own money rather than U.S. loans or gifts) 18 new F-16C fighters, 500 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles; 1,450 2,000 pound (909 kg) bombs; 500 JDAM Tail Kits and 1,600 Enhanced Paveway laser-guided kits for unguided bombs.

Since 2002 the United States has provided Pakistan with over $20 billion in economic and military aid. About a quarter of that was military aid, including $3 billion worth of hardware. About a third of this is still awaiting delivery. Much of what was given in cash was stolen, and that was often blatant and with little effort to hide what was going on. Such is the culture of corruption in Pakistan. Even much non-cash aid, like food, office equipment or industrial items ended up getting sold with the cash disappearing into some government official’s foreign bank account.

It’s also believe that Chinese military experts get to carefully examine any American weapons and equipment delivered and some of it has probably been shipped back to China for the most retailed and thorough analysis.

Procurement: Pakistan Gets Back On Board The Gravy Train
 
April 24, 2014: In the last year the United States has resumed shipping military equipment to Pakistan. These shipments were halted after the 2011 U.S. raid into Pakistan to get Osama bin Laden. Pakistan was unhappy with this raid and retaliated which led to the U.S. halting military aid. All of that was sort-of patched up in 2013. Thus in the last year Pakistan received several major items, including high-end military radios, upgrades for 35 Pakistani F-16s and on the way are 374 upgraded M113 armored personnel carriers. Between 2002 and 2011 Pakistan received a lot more. This included four refurbished P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft. Three of these were destroyed by Islamic terrorists in 2011 but four more are on the way. Items already received include 14 F-16A jets, 59 T-37 jet trainers, nearly 6,000 military radio sets, 2,007 TOW anti-tank guided missiles; six AN/TPS-77 surveillance radars, six refurbished C-130E transport aircraft, a refurbished Perry class frigate, 12 refurbished AH-1F helicopter gunships (with eight more to come) and professional training for over 2,000 Pakistani military officers. Pakistan was also allowed to buy (with its own money rather than U.S. loans or gifts) 18 new F-16C fighters, 500 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles; 1,450 2,000 pound (909 kg) bombs; 500 JDAM Tail Kits and 1,600 Enhanced Paveway laser-guided kits for unguided bombs.

Since 2002 the United States has provided Pakistan with over $20 billion in economic and military aid. About a quarter of that was military aid, including $3 billion worth of hardware. About a third of this is still awaiting delivery. Much of what was given in cash was stolen, and that was often blatant and with little effort to hide what was going on. Such is the culture of corruption in Pakistan. Even much non-cash aid, like food, office equipment or industrial items ended up getting sold with the cash disappearing into some government official’s foreign bank account.

It’s also believe that Chinese military experts get to carefully examine any American weapons and equipment delivered and some of it has probably been shipped back to China for the most retailed and thorough analysis.

Procurement: Pakistan Gets Back On Board The Gravy Train

trash article - strategy page is the worst.

U.S. seeks to navigate military-civilian power blocs in Pakistan

Apr. 22, 2014 - 11:01AM |


By John Kuhn
Medill News Service

It has been six years since the Pakistani military gave up direct control of that nation’s government. But U.S. defense officials continue to deal directly with Pakistan’s military leaders — potentially undermining the civilian government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, experts said.

In the past, the U.S. favored dealing directly with the Pakistani military instead of the civilian government because the military could get things done, said Reza Jan, an analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. The question going forward is whether the U.S. can effectively work with Pakistan’s military through its civilian government, he said.

For much of the last decade, the U.S. dealt only with the Pakistani military. Pervez Musharraf seized power through a military coup in 1999, and from 2001 to 2008 served as president. He was charged with treason earlier this year for undermining Pakistan’s constitution in 2007, when he fired top judges in order to slow an opposition movement.

Now as Pakistan’s civilian government consolidates control, lines of authority between civilian leaders and the traditionally powerful military are changing — and that creates tension, said Jan.

“The two sides are doing that dance, trying to figure out where the line has moved to,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s the case where the military pulls the strings from the shadows and the government is just there for show.”

However, Christine Fair, assistant professor at Georgetown and author of “Fighting to the End,” a book on the Pakistani army’s strategic culture, said that she has not seen any evidence that the military has ceded real control to the civilian government.

“The Pakistan military doesn’t have to run the country to have its preferred policy operationalized,” she said, adding that this is why the U.S. military still works directly with the generals in that strategically critical Central Asian nation.

Fair said that although Musharraf’s trial will act as a deterrent for any Pakinstani army chief considering a future coup, it’s a personal indictment of Musharraf rather than an indictment of the army.

Pakistan’s “military controls all of the policy levers that generally influence the United States,” Fair said. “There is a space where America can engage civilian counterparts but those spaces have to be far away from anything that the Pakistani military cares about,” she added.

Aqil Shah, a lecturer at Princeton University and author of “The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan,” said he is not convinced that Pakistan’s military fully recognizes the authority of the country’s civilian government.

“Pakistan’s military has traditionally dominated the state, which has an impact on how they perceive their own legitimate role,” he said.

Since its inception, Pakistan has been engaged in near-constant conflict, making military strength crucial. The threat of war with India is a big reason why Pakistan’s military must be powerful, said Shah. Both countries have nuclear weapons, a threat that has given generals incentive and opportunity to increase their political influence, Shah said.

Shah said he doesn’t see Pakistan’s military fully accepting its lesser role under civilian government unless “Indian and Pakistani hostilities are resolved.” He added that military personnel would need to unlearn much of what they have been taught in order to accept the civilian government as legitimate.

“It’s possible a re-socialization of the army happens,” Shah said, but not likely. He said that when he has asked Pakistani generals if they could name one other professional military in the world that acts as Pakistan’s does, they respond with, “Could you name one country [like] Pakistan?”

The Pakistani military is good at manipulating public opinion, the media and even judges, which leave it with a sort of veto power over proposed policy changes it doesn’t like, Shah said. He added that the military has particular control of the country’s national security narrative.

But Jan said that the Pakistani media is part of the reason civilian control is growing. “The media actively goes after stories dealing with the military and insurgents,” he said.

And a hyperactive news media and growing social media — combined with a new reverence for the judiciary — has kept memories of the downsides of total military control fresh in citizens’ minds, allowing the current civilian government a chance to “flex its muscle,” Jan said.

For the U.S., Jan said the changing landscape in Pakistan still features considerable military-to-military contact, “but the U.S. is trying to keep it quieter now.”
 
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meeting to exchange war dead & wounded- 1965
 

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