Pakistan Navy Naval Exercise AMAN-13

[Windjammer]

Hi mate. Both photo were taken on the Chinese type 052 destroyer 112 Harbin. First photo showed the PNS 252 Shamsheer sailing alongside; second photo showed the Z9-C chopper taking off from the destroyer 112.

You can see the pennant number "112" on the helo pad, also the "dual" guiding-rail on the deck (similar to the US Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate), as 112 has a double-hangar. Also the colour scheme of the helicopter is in its usual whitish light grey, whereas Pakistan's Z9-EC helicopters has a darker navy grey colour which look prettier and very cool I reckon.

I can only convey what appeared on the website i picked these images from.....also in the top image you can make out the Pakistan flag. !!

 

[Ibr0kEmYrAz0r]

I can only convey what appeared on the website i picked these images from.....also in the top image you can make out the Pakistan flag. !!

Okay I know you just convey what appeared on that website you saw.

Yes I've seen the Pakistan flag. Because the Chinese ship DDG-112 is visiting Pakistan for the AMAN-13 exercise, and it is a courtesy to have Pakistan flag flying to show respect and friendship. This is called "Courtesy flag" in maritime terms.

Definition: A courtesy flag (or courtesy ensign) is flown by a ship in foreign waters as a token of respect by a visiting vessel. The flag is customarily worn at the foremasthead of multi-masted vessels, the starboard yardarm or crosstree of the mast of single-masted vessels.

From the picture, the Pakistan flag is exactly flying at the starboard yardarm (i.e. the outermost tip of the yard).

However, even without all those info, I am just stating the fact that the ship is a 052 class destroyer, just by looking at the bow section and the front twin 100mm main gun. The main gun on F-22P class is a single 76mm.

Hope this sorts out the confusion, cheers!

 

[Ibr0kEmYrAz0r]

Some photo from the old posts showing Z-9EC for the Pakistan navy.

Nice colour scheme I reckon.

 

[Windjammer]

 

[Luftwaffe]

I saw Japanese Flag there, Are they taking part as well...

 

[Kompromat]

I saw Japanese Flag there, Are they taking part as well...

No we just put the flag up next to the Chinese because it makes us look cool

 

[ejaz007]

Pakistan, Guest Navies Conclude Aman-13 Exercise


KARACHI — Pakistan on Friday concluded a four-day multinational exercise and seminar aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.

The Aman-13 /Peace-13 exercise brought together ships from 13 countries — including the U.S. and China — and observers from 20 others.

It was the fourth in the biannual series, which was designed to provide a platform for information sharing, develop tactics against asymmetrical and traditional threats and boost interoperability between all navies working in the region.

Though there are other threats to regional peace and stability, the main ones in the Indian Ocean region remain terrorism and piracy. Some of the warships participating in the exercise regularly engage in missions to combat these threats.

However, during the seminar, some questioned whether there was sufficient resolve to stamp out terrorism, given that the vast resources arrayed against the Somali pirates operating in the region have not been completely successful.

Some participants speculated that piracy had become lucrative for more than just the pirates, and that some insurance companies at least appeared to be content with the current situation. But others pointed out that the sheer size of the area that the anti-piracy naval task forces must cover made it impossible to physically eradicate the pirates.

The exchange in ideas and techniques also extended to special operations. Little information was released about that aspect of the exercise, but Indonesia was acknowledged to have participated only with a team from its KOPASKA underwater demolition team.

The U.S. Navy also sent an explosive ordnance team, as confirmed by U.S. personnel present during the sea phase of the exercise.

Local VIP visitors observing the exercises were headed by Pakistan’s Naval Staff chief, Adm. Muhammad Asif Sandila, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) chairman, Gen. Khalid Shameem Wynne.

Speaking to Defense News, the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson, and members of the Office of the Defense Representative stressed the importance of Pakistan due to its strategic location and its participation in international maritime security endeavors such as Combined Task Force-150 and CTF-151.

The U.S. Navy also participated with the destroyer William P. Lawrence, which joined frigates from Australia, Britain and Turkey; a replenishment vessel, destroyer and frigate from China; corvettes from Italy, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates; a Sri Lankan fast attack craft; and a Bangladeshi offshore patrol vessel.

Japanese forces were represented by a pair of P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft that joined helicopters from some of the participating warships.

Two of Pakistan’s F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigates participated, along with its single Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, as well as a tanker, which conducted simulated replenishment exercises, and a range of smaller fast attack and patrol craft.

The sea phase consisted of a series of exercises including a special operations demonstration, gunnery trials and anti-surface warfare drills.



Pakistan, Guest Navies Conclude Aman-13 Exercise | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[Jango]

A PN ASW Helicopter Takes off from a Frigate.

Another thing that says that this isn't a PN ship or heli is that PN Z-9's don't have FLIR on them, only Fokkers have, and Bell 412 and Mi17 for the army.

 

[fatman17]

Another thing that says that this isn't a PN ship or heli is that PN Z-9's don't have FLIR on them, only Fokkers have, and Bell 412 and Mi17 for the army.

and the answer is PLAN

 

[Darth Vader]

 

[Windjammer]

 

[Banana]

Where was the theater of operations for the exercise?

 

[SQ8]

Where was the theater of operations for the exercise?

Arabian sea EEZ .. specifically near Karachi.
Beachhead operations at PNS Himalaya I presume.

 

[Manticore]

 

[fatman17]

Pakistan Navy testing the waters

By:Arif Ansar

Monday, 11 Mar 2013.


AMAN-13 naval exercise could help reduce regional mistrust.


Pakistan conducted an international naval exercise AMAN-13 in the North Arabian Sea from March 4 to 8. It was the fourth drill in this series that began in 2007. Reportedly, 24 countries attended the opening ceremony. The American destroyer USS William P. Lawrence was amongst the ships taking part along with vessels from Australia, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Turkey, UAE, Britain and Italy.

On the other hand, countries participating as observers were: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Sudan, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of this multinational exercise, Pakistan Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Hasham bin Siddique stated: “AMAN-13 will be instrumental in enhancing tactical and operational readiness amongst its participating navies.”

AMAN-13 was projected to be a routine exercise focused on combating piracy, terrorism, and the protection of shipping-lanes and trade flows. However, a deeper look reveals a newfound assertiveness, momentum, and significance behind these drills.

AMAN-13 and similar exercises being conducted by other states are reflective of the broader tensions around Iran’s nuclear program, situation of Syria, and island disputes in the South China Sea. Underneath the island disputes of the South China Sea are the tussles for the balance of naval power in the Pacific Ocean. While the defense budgets of European nations and US are decreasing, that of China is only increasing. Furthermore, the naval forces of states like India and Japan are rapidly growing.

Pakistan’s neighbor Iran regularly conducts naval drills to showcase its preparedness and to counter any plans to attack its nuclear installations. Moreover, the country has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if there is such a strike. In December 2012, alarm was raised when Israeli media reported on the presence of a Pakistan’s nuclear-armed naval ship Shamsheer at Port Sudan. According to news, the vessel was to rendezvous with two Iranian vessels and conduct maneuvers on the Red Sea.

However, the joint operation was reportedly averted under pressure from US, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Iranian and Pakistani ships had showed up in Sudan after the October, 2012 attack on an arms depot in Port Khartoum. The strike was allegedly carried out by Israel, claiming the depot was being used to store Iranian arms that were being shipped onwards to Gaza via Sinai in Egypt.

Soon afterwards, in January 2013 Naval Special Forces from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia participated in a tenth joint naval exercise under Naseem Al Bahr. Earlier, in November 2012, Pakistan Navy Ship Shamsheer and P-3C Orion aircraft participated in a Turkish exercise Mavi Baline-12.

While Pakistan was busy with AMAN-13, Pakistan’s neighbor to the east, India concluded its largest naval exercise TROPEX 13 on March 1. In the recent past, India has carried out a number of such drills with the naval forces of other states that included US, Japan and Australia. One does not have to be much creative to imagine some of the scenarios being practiced, especially in the post Mumbai incident environment.

The recent controversy in Pakistan over the setting up of US ‘Tactical Command and Operations Center’ at the Jinnah International Airport Karachi may be linked to this lingering risk. As Pakistan-India ties improve, the extremist groups may attempt to pull-off another Mumbai style event. A US based website has claimed the tactical command center is meant to monitor Karachi and the entire coastal belt to control smuggling. Iran may be equally worried about this development. The downing of RQ-170 Sentinel drone in December 2011 demonstrated the multiple purposes such assets can play. The drone reportedly flew out of Pakistan or Afghanistan to conduct surveillance over Iran. The Sentinel was also used in the operation to go after Osama bin Laden.

The increasing assertiveness of Pakistan Navy has ironically been matched by growing targeting of its assets that deal with surveillance and maritime security. This lends further proof to the fact that the agenda of TTP is more sophisticated than a rag-tag group of mercenaries can intellectually come up with or financially back. For example, in the 2011 assault on Mehran naval aviation base in Karachi, 2 P-3C Orion anti submarine and maritime surveillance aircrafts were destroyed. However, it should be noted that after the incident, US had offered to replace the destroyed planes. In the August 2012 strike at the Minhas airbase in Kamra, TTP targeted one of the key components of Pakistan’s airborne early warning system, Saab 2000. The advanced plane is capable of detecting high and low flying objects over a long range of about 450 kilometers, to include on the surface of the sea. On the other hand, Pakistan’s coastal line stretches about 960 kilometers.

While the schedules for such drills are decided much in advance, the timing of AMAN-13 was peculiar. It took place when Pakistan just handed over the Gwadar port to a Chinese government owned firm. The country has also decided to move ahead with the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, while Iran announced its plans to develop an oil refinery at the Gwadar port. These developments are deeply worrisome moves for India and US.

The presence of China, US and other pacific nations in the exercise, serve to calm the waters of mistrust between these countries. Through these naval maneuvers, Pakistan is playing an instrumental role in reducing tensions between China and other nations of the Orient. At the same time, such drills reduce apprehensions regarding Pakistan-China cooperation. Moreover, it signals that while India regularly conducts naval exercises with Japan, US and Australia, it does not necessarily mean Pakistan is isolated. Pakistan’s Navy has its role to play in the region because of its strategic location. However, as it relates to economic and security cooperation with Iran, Pakistan will continue to confront pressure from the West as well as the Arab nations.

The writer is chief analyst at PoliTact, a Washington based futurist advisory firm (www.PoliTact.com and http:twitter.com/politact) and can be reached at aansar@politact.com