-Pakistan Naval Aviation
Updated on 13/3/2011
GENERAL | ORDER OF BATTLE | INVENTORY | BASES
The main Pakistan Naval Aviation base is located at Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Mehran, located on the western side of the runway. It operates a fleet of Alouette IIIs, Sea Kings, Atlantics, F-27 Friendships and P-3C Orions. The US Government recently agreed to donate seven P-3Cs to the Pakistan Navy through its Foreign Military Sales process, although they will be refurbished in Pakistan. To date two aircraft are believed to have been delivered, joining the two P-3Cs that were returned to service in September 2006 after years of being in store due to a lack of spares. China has sold six Harbin Z-9EC anti-submarine helicopters to the Pakistan Navy for use on their Type 21 destroyers, with the first of these delivered on 23rd September, 2009.
The Atlantics and the Sea King Mk. 46s are equipped with the AM-39 Exocet for the anti-shipping role. The Lynx HAS.3s acquired from the Royal Navy in 1994 have recently been withdrawn from service, due to various reasons, so it is believed that the naval air arm has lost its capability to use Sea Skua and Mk 46 Lightweight Torpedoes in the anti-submarine role from helicopter platforms.
Also based at PNS Mehran althought not part of the Naval Aviation are two BN-2 Defenders flown by the Maritime Surveillance Flights 93 Sqn. The Flight is mainly tasked for patrolling Pakistans Economic Exclusion Zone and reports to the Director General of the Maritime Security Agency.
Order of Battle
222 Squadron was deactivated by 2007 following the withdrawal of its Lynx HAS.3 helicopters. The squadron was resurrected in late September 2009 to operate six newly-delivered HAIG Z-9EC Haifuns in the same anti-submarine role as its predecessors.
HQ Rawalpindi
HQ Pakistan Armed Forces
HQ Karachi
HQ Pakistan Navy
PNS Mehran, Karachi
HQ Pakistan Naval Air Arm
27 Squadron
F-27-200MPA Friendship
F-27-400M Troopship
28 Squadron
P-3C-II.75 Orion
29 Squadron
Br.1150 Atlantic
111 Squadron
Westland WS-61 Sea King Mk.45
Westland WS-61 Sea King Mk.45B
222 Squadron
Z-9EC Haitun
333 Squadron
SA316 B Alouette III
SA319 B Alouette III Astazou
VIP/EW Flight
Hawker 850XP
HQ Karachi
Maritime Security Agency
PNS Mehran, Karachi
Maritime Surveillance Flight
93 Squadron
BN-2T Maritime Defender
Aircraft
Aérospatiale
SA316 B Alouette III
- In service from 1983
SA319 B Alouette III Astazou
- In service from 1972
- Note: The attrition losses both occurred on 12th October 1978, Reports from 2005 suggested that more aircrafts may be acquired in future. The first 2 from a planned batch of 6 former-French military examples were delivered on 11th April 2008, having been purchased via the UK-based company MNA Technologies Ltd.
AgustaWestland
Lynx HAS.
- In service from September 1994 until 2005
- Note: The type was withdrawn from service by 2005, with the airframes possibly due to be offered for sale for spares recovery purposes.
Westland WS-61 Sea King Mk.45
Westland WS-61 Sea King Mk.45B
Breguet
Br.1150 Atlantic
Britten-Norman
BN-2T Maritime Defender
Fokker D
F-27-200MPA Friendship
- Note: A 5th aircraft was added to the inventory on 11th April 2008; formerly operated by Pakistan International Airlines in passenger configuration, this has now been upgraded to fulfill the maritime patrol task.
F-27-400M Troopship
Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation
Z-9EC Haitun
- In service from October 2009
- Note: A total of 6 Z-9EC helicopters were reportedly ordered from HAMC in 2005, with at least one example photographed in China during September 2007. The first 3 Haituns were finally handed-over in an official ceremony on 23rd September 2009, with a further 4 inducted during a similar inauguration on 4th November 2010.
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation
Hawker 850XP
- In service from November 2010
- Note: Although the aircraft was delivered to Pakistan in late August 2010, it was officially accepted into service during an official ceremony on 4th November 2010. Media reports suggest that the aircraft has an EW/surveillance role, but no details regarding specific sensor fits are known, nor whom performed any work that may have been undertaken with this in mind. The aircraft was manufactured in 2008, but is not believed to have been delivered to its intended customer in 2009.
Lockheed
P-3C-II.75 Orion
- In service from 1997
- Note: The acquisition of the original batch of 3 Orions was approved in 1988, with deliveries to the USN's training unit (VP-30 at Jacksonville, FL) taking place in late 1990. Although Pakistan Navy crews commenced training on the aircraft in February 1991, by mid-year the supply of the Orions was subject to an arms embargo & the aircraft were not delivered to Pakistan until December 1996 & January 1997, respectively. Folowing the Orion's official induction into service on 22nd January 1999, an attrition loss occurred on 29th October 1999 & the type was grounded shortly after. The 2 surviving aircraft were placed into storage for a number of years, but overhauled by OGMA, at Mehran, in 2006/2007 & returned to service. A further 7 refurbished ex-US Navy examples are now being supplied, following the lifting of the aforementioned embargo. The first 2 of these were delivered to Pakistan in January & March 2007, respectively, with the third & fourth examples handed-over in the USA during January 2010. Following a spell of time spent crew training at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, these were then flown to Mehran, Pakistan at the end of May 2010, where they were officially accepted into service at a formal ceremony on 1st June 2010.
Bases
HQ Karachi
HQ Rawalpindi
PNS Mehran, Karachi (Sharea Faisal)
AFI
Bomb..?
