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PN 97th officer commission passing out





KARACHI: Pakistan Navy (PN) 97th officer commission passing out parade held at Manora PNS Rahbar on Saturday here.



Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Tahir Rafique **** was the guest of honour, while PN Chief Asif Sandela welcomed the special guest on this occasion.



82 midshipmen and 22 short service commission (SSC) officers, including 5 foreigners and 3 female were commissioned. Midshipman Shahriyar obtained the sword of honour
 
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Pakistan Navy Hawker 850XP in Zurich:
 
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USN Carrier Strike Groups


■The USS Enterprise CSG with CVW 1 embarked is on a scheduled port visit to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, while in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) conducting missions supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts.

■The USS Abraham Lincoln CSG with CVW 2 embarked is under way in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR conducting missions supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts
 
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Navalized DH-10 LACM


Deployment of Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) on Chinese warships will bring new dimensions to diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific.



Images have surfaced of a naval variant of the DH-10 LACM on a China Navy test vessel. The missile canisters spotted appear to be virtually identical to the land-based variant. This sort of arrangement is reminiscent to the deployment of the BGM-109 Tomahawk on United States Navy surface combatants by way of the MK-143 Armored Box Launcher. The MK-143 enabled vessels such as the Iowa Class Battleships and Spruance Class Destroyers to launch the BGM-109.

The images suggest that the DH-10 would be installed in the same way as the YJ-62 or YJ-83 anti-ship missiles. This is advantageous for the current generation of China Navy surface combatants, giving designs such as the 052C land attack capability with minimal structural modification. However, the downside is that the arrangement would sacrifice anti-ship capabilities by substituting the YJ-62 or YJ-83 systems with DH-10 launchers. It also means that only a maximum of eight missiles can be carried and that is assuming the launch canisters can be stacked on top of one another.

In spite of its disadvantages and simplicity compared to the deployment of vertically launched LACMs by other navies, the adoption of a naval variant of the DH-10 is a considerable capability leap for Beijing. This development would enable China to complete its “cruise missile triad”, complementing the already in-service land-based system and the air-launched variant, the CJ-10. Missiles launched from land-based platforms are restricted to striking targets around China’s periphery, not so dissimilar to the range limitations faced by the Second Artillery Force’s inventory of conventional ballistic missiles. Missiles launched from the air force’s H-6 bombers provide more operational flexibility and reach for China’s cruise missiles, similar to the way in which the United States Air Force deploys cruise missiles from its bomber fleet. However, without aerial refueling capability and heavy fighter protection, the H-6 is an aircraft restricted to limited regional operations. The bomber’s obsolete design, slow speed and its vulnerability to interception are weighing heavily against its potential strategic roles.

The China Navy, on the other hand, is the only branch of the Chinese military capable of projecting limited power far beyond China’s shores. While it is debatable whether the China Navy would seek the same sort of global reach as the United States Navy, the possession of ship-launched LACMs would essentially enable Chinese warships to conduct long range precision attacks against land targets around the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The implications are strategic locations that were traditionally distance away from China mainland could now be potentially brought within the firing range of DH-10 armed vessels.

The fact that DH-10 is mounted on a test vessel that has yet sail suggests that it is still very early its development cycle. If the rumored Type 052D destroyer, the successor of the 052C that is reportedly under construction is mounted with DH-10, then a universal vertical launch system for Chinese armed forces is a reality.

It would also be interesting to monitor the future development of an undersea DH-10 systems as arming Beijing’s fleet of conventional and nuclear attack submarines with submarine-launched DH-10 missiles will have far reaching implications.
 
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Turbulent Times

IMAGES OF burning Orions being broadcast all over the globe on May 22, 2011 , was yet another reminder to the Pakistan Naval Aviation of the tragedies it has endured in recent years.

Since being formed in 1971 it has been a fairly turbulent 40 years for the PNA. A BR-1150 Atlantic was shot down by an Indian Air Force MiG-21 with the loss of the crew; it P-3C crashed into the sea with the 21 personnel onboard all killed; the west's sanctions had a crippling effect on its aircraft throughout the 1990s/early :2000’s - and then there was the Taliban attack on May 22. Since being created, the small, close knit community has had more than Its fair share of ill fortune. Bad luck even dogged the beautifully marked Orion when it flew from Pakistan to the Royal International Air Tattoo 2008 at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, because the biggest alr show in the world was cancelled at the last moment due to the terrible weather. The aircraft stood there looking immaculate thousands of miles away from home, with no one to admire it.

When Tallban militants attacked the PNA's Karachi air base, known as Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Mehran on that Sunday night, it took security forces around 15 hours to defeat the handful of gunmen, as the world watched the drama unfolding. When the night was over two P-3C Orions had been destroyed and one badly damaged, while 14 military were killed along with around four attackers.

In a subsequent statement, a Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, told Reuters News Agency: • It was the revenge of Osama bin laden's martyrdom [on May 2). It was proof that we are still united and powerful.

Within days, the Commander Naval Aviation (COMNAV), Commodore Raja Tahir who the author met, was suspended from duties and replaced by Commodore Khalld Parvez. COMNAV has four heads of departments reporting Into him: Commander Air who has responsibility for the aviation assets, Commander Air Engineering Dept. (AED), Commanding Officer Mehran and Officer Commanding Naval Aviation Training School (NATS). Between them they are responsible for all the Navy personnel based at PNS Mehran. Ultimately Commodore Raja, who In his role was effectively the PNS Mehran Base Commander, paid the price for lapses in security.

1971 War Lessons

Located in the south-east corner of Pakistan Air Force Base Faisal off Karachi's main Drigh Road, the facility is hidden well away from prying eyes. PNS Mehran has stood proud serving the Pakistan Navy since being formally commissioned on September 1975, with only eight officers and four sailors.

Like any other Navy, Pakistan's sea-going vessels require protection while patrolling Pakistan's coastal waters, although some defense is provided by the ships onboard systems, they are still vulnerable to air-attack - as the 1971 India-Pakistan war highlighted. During that 13-day war, the Pakistan Navy lost two navy ships. PNS Muhafjz and PNS Khyber, seven gunboats, one minesweeper; the Coast Guard lost three patrol craft.

Some 18 civilian cargo, supply and communication vessels were also destroyed. Three merchant navy ships were captured and the naval base/dockyards in Karachi severely damaged. Around 1,900 personnel, naval and civilian lost their lives. For Pakistan, it was a disaster.

Lessons from the 1971 War led to a blue print for the Pakistan Naval Aviation (PNA) and the delivery of four Alouette Ills, flown by Army pilots in 1972. These French helicopters were capable training platforms with a secondary Search and Rescue (SAR) role. Six brand new Sea King Mk 4S anti surface warfare (ASuW) and anti-submarine (ASW) helicopters followed in 1975 after a year's work-up by PNA personnel at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall. Three BR-11 50 Atlantic long-range maritime patrol aircraft were also delivered that year. The pioneers of this embryonic air arm set about creating its operational doctrine in a bid to provide the Navy with the support it craved.

The next acquisition came in 1982 when an ex-PIA Fokker F-27 was purchased and converted at Amsterdam-Schiphol to perform the maritime patrol role. The Fokker has been a faithful servant over the years with five further examples joining the ranks - the latest being in April 2008.

In 1993, three second-hand lynx HAS3 ASW helicopters were acquired as part of a deal that saw the UK sell six Type 21 frigates (see later) to the Pakistan Navy. However, they hardly flew due to a lack of spares.

Undoubtedly the biggest fillip In the PNA's operational capabilities has been the acquisition of ten P-3C Orion’s over the past 20 years. even though the P-3 story is one of sanctions, tragedy and destruction, and now there are only five in service with two yet to be delivered.

In 2009 six Chinese Harbin Z-9Ee ASW helicopters arrived, which according to one senior officer were a much cheaper option than buying spares from Augusta-Westland for the lynx.

A Hawker 850Xl was supplied by Dallas-based Triple-S Aviation in 2010 to bolster the air arm's ELINT capabilities although the company refers to it as a multi-mission aircraft.

Today the PNA is bigger than it has ever been with an Inventory of around 35 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft from China, France, the Netherlands and the USA.

Fixed Wing

Navy Aviation employs the P-3C and Atlantic for anti-surface/anti-submarine warfare, with the P-3C’s AGM-84 Harpoon anti-shipping missile providing a lethal anti-ship strike capability.

The first three P-3C’s (81,82, and 83) were all embargoed by the USA in 1992, as the aircraft rolled off the production line, because of Pakistan’s nuclear program, which meant they spent three years in the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. After being released to Pakistan in late 1996/early 1997 they were soon operational with 28 Sqdn. However when US placed sanctions on Pakistan, once again, because of nuclear tests in 1998, the spares dried up. Tragedy struck on October 29, 1999 when P-3C No.83 crashed into the Arabian sea with the loss of all 21 personnel on board, including the Squadron CO, Commander Shehzad Ahmad. For several years the surviving pair stood grounded owing to the crippling effects of sanctions. This remained the case until these were lifted in 2004 and the aircraft returned to the skies in 2006. A year after the sanctions had been lifted in 2005, the US announced that as part of a US$ 970 million arms package, the PNA would receive eight P-3C Orion’s (although it seems one was a spares aircraft), a spokesman for the US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA), which sanctioned the deal said at the time; ‘the command and control capabilities of these aircraft will improve Pakistan’s ability to restrict the littoral movement of terrorists along Pakistan’s southern border and ensure its overall ability to maintain integrity of their borders, Pakistan intends to use the proposed purchase to develop a long needed fleet of maritime and border surveillance aircraft’.

This statement highlighting the P-3’s role, was undoubtedly a contributing factor to the May 22 attack. All the P-3 aircraft are to be modernized under the terms of the Pakistan Upgrade Program (PUP) with the capability to deploy the all-weather standoff cruise missile AGM-84H SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile- Extended Response). Up until May 22, 20 11, 29 Sqdn flew five P-3Cs with two being PUP aircraft - identified by the FUR protruding (rom under the fuselage. Another three are being modified at Greenville, Texas, with delivery of two expected before the end of the year, with two unmodified aircraft going in the opposite direction. No 85 was initially delivered in 2007, but was flown back. To the USA via Lajes, Azores in September 2010.

During mid-February the squadron was going through an Operational Readiness Inspection preparation for the 5 day international exercise - AMAN 2011. The maritime maneuvers concentrated around the coast of Pakistan involved 23 nations, as well as a Royal Australian Air Force P-3 and a pair of Japanese p-3Cs, which operated from PNS Mehran.

The PUP P-3Cs will provide Pakistan with a search, surveillance, and control capability to support maritime interdiction operations. Their anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare capabilities will be considerably enhanced once upgraded, while there will also be a control capability over land to assist in the fight against transnational terrorists and narcotics smugglers.

Until the attack on PNS Mehran, the PNA were planning to phase out the two remaining 29 Sqdn Atlantics as delivery of the P-3C Orion’s increased. Only one of the French veterans Is currently operational while another is under maintenance. A third aircraft was shot down by an Indian Air Force MiG-21 on August 10, 1999 just three months after the IAF had lost two fighters during the Kargil Conflict. Emotions were still running high in India at the time and It was interpreted by the Pak. Navy as an act of vengeance. All 16 people on board were lost.

Today the single Atlantic Is used primarily for Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) but it can still pack a mighty punch if called upon, courtesy of an AM39 Exocet air-to-surface missile and up to eight torpedoes inside the bomb-bay. Whether the remaining Atlantic will be brought Into service, following the loss of two P-3Cs on May 22,. 2011, is unclear.

In mid - October 2010 the special mission needs of the Pak Navy Aviation were given a considerable boost with the arrival of a Hawker 850XP. The platform, the Navy's first jet, was supplied by Dallas-based Triple S Aviation, configured for a multi-mission role that includes both VIP and ELINT tasking. It now flies with 29 Sqdn and will assist the Atlantics in their primary role.

According to the Pakistan Navy the Hawker 850XP has recently been inducted for ELINT purposes and Is being fitted with modern sensors to provide a cost-effective option as compared to buying a new Maritime Patrol aircraft. With the induction of modern fighters by our adversary, the slow moving turboprop driven Long Range Maritime Patrol (LRMP) aircraft are under a real and serious threat. This new jet is faster, more maneuverable and agile so at less risk, while at the same time performing the task of area surveillance much quicker.

The backbone of the Pak Navy's fixed wing fleet is undoubtedly the ubiquitous Fokker F27 flown by the appropriately numbered 27 Sqdn. its six. Hour range means the twin - engine transport aircraft is suited for maritime patrol and an ASW role. However the fleet is regularly used for ferrying missions, Para dropping, Search and Rescue and multi-engine training. Having increased its fleet with a former PIA aircraft in April 2008, the unit can now call upon five ASW configured F27•200 MPA Friendships, three upgraded with the Ocean Master radar systems. This allows the other two as well as a F-27 400M to concentrate on other tasking’s. such as humanitarian relief - of which there has been a regular need in Pakistan during recent years, with earthquakes and flooding taking its toll a country ravaged by conflict.

In late July 2010, when Pakistan suffered catastrophic floods affecting one fifth of the country, 27 Sqdn made a huge contribution to Operation Madad – the Navy's effort in the flood relief ops, that ran from July to November when the clean-up ended. The Fokker’s were the only Navy asset able to drop paratroopers in to the worst affected areas, and together with the Navy's Sea Kings were tasked to Para drop food and other essential items. As the refugees were taken by helicopter to Pasnl and Ormara airfields, the F27s flew them to the relative safety of Karachi.

Having completed their flying training on Mushshaks with the Army Aviation School at Gujranwala, newly trained fixed wing pilots will join 27 5qn to continue their multiengine training before moving to the Atlantic or P• 3. It’s clear 27 Sqdn is the most versatile unit in Pak Navy Aviation. As PNA continues to modernize, a replacement for the F27 Is currently being studied with the CASA 235/295 and ATR 42/72 ASW are under consideration.

Rotary

Helicopters play a big part in any naval force - whether it is for logistical support, protection or extend the ships over the horizon (OTH) capabilities, rotary wings are very important.

So it was no surprise when the first platforms to be purchased by the Navy, in the wake of lessons learned from the 1971 lndo-Pak war, were helicopters - initially the Arouette III and then the Sea King. The ever faithful Alouette III, a workhorse for many air forces in the region, still serves the Pakistan Navy today. In fact, when the first helicopter purchases In nearly ten years occurred a couple of years ago, they were in the shape of two SA319 Alouette Ills. The two former French Army helicopters were purchased from UK-based MNA Technologies Ltd, entering service with 333 Sqdn in April 2008. More were to be acquired through the same company but it failed to source them and the deal was abandoned.

New pilots arrive from the Pakistan Army Flying Training Wing at Gujranwala having flown up to 75 hours In Schweizer 333s - the Army's basic training helicopter. The Alouette’s can also provide a search and rescue capability when called upon.

Today's fleet of Sea Kings comprises five Mk45s delivered in 1975 for an ASW and ASuW role, equipped with the AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile, A further ex-Royal Navy HAS 5 referred to as a Mk 45A now, was delivered In 1989 as a replacement of a Sea King lost on February 8, 1986. The only noticeable difference externally is its dark blue AEW radome as opposed to the original MK45s' white ones. The helicopters, which serve 111 Sqdn play an active role patrolling Pakistan's off shore waters for unwanted visitors.

When the Pakistan Navy signed a contract with CATIC on April 4, 2006 for four Chinese F-22P Zulfiquar class frigates, the deal also included the acquisition of six Harbin Z-9EC ASW helicopters. This meant the end of the three Lynx HAS3s acquired In 1993, which would have cost more to return to service than the six Chinese helicopters cost to buy. In an age where littoral warfare plays a major part In defeating your enemies, the Z-9EC Is to be upgraded with a data-link system, compatible with the new F-22 P frigates and the maritime strike JF-17, soon to be operational with the new Chinese C-802 anti-shipping missile.

Based upon the AS565 Panther, which figures among the inventories of nine nations including the French Navy, the Z-9EC can provide these new vessels with significant OTH and ASW capabilities. These helicopters, the last Z-9s to be equipped with conventional analogue cockpits come with a surface-search radar, low frequency dipping sonar, radar warning receiver and Doppler navigation system. They can also be armed with a torpedo and depth charges for the anti-submarine warfare role. In addition to the two pilots onboard, an ASW Operator sits at his workstation in the rear, monitoring the tactical situation.

Six pilots went to Harbin, China In 2007/08 to carry out their conversion-training and the six helicopters were delivered in two batches of three in May 2009 and December 2009 to 222 Sqdn, which stood up in April 2009. According to 222 Sqdn CO, Capt. Imran Nasir, who also commanded 333 Sqn before his transfer to Z-9;"The helicopter is a complex machine, very user-friendly but you need to have a lot of experience in flying and navigation.

To date three of the F-22Ps, PNS Zulfiqar, PNS Shamsheer and PNS Saif have been delivered while the fourth is now being built at the Karachi Shipyards.

The lead ship, PNS Zulfiquar, was launched on April 5, 2008 and inducted into the Pakistan Navy on September 19, 2009; the second, PNS Shamsheer, arrived in Pakistan on January 23, 2010 and PNS Saif was handed over on September I S, 2010,
According to Admiral Noman Bashir, the Pakistan Navy Chief, the PN will expand its fleet of F-22P frigates by constructing more ships locally.

The Z-9ECs can also deploy aboard the Pakistan Navy's six Type 21 frigates, however they don't stay at sea more than a month because the frigate's hangar is not big enough to house the Chinese chopper.

During 1993-94 the Pakistan Navy purchased the Royal Navy's six surviving Type 21 Amazon class frigates (two were lost in the 1982 Falklands War) in a deal that saw three LYNX HAS3 being supplied too. Unfortunately, due to a lack of spares, which were very expensive when they did become available. It meant the Lynx was retired prematurely. All three are up for disposal and stored in the appropriately named Lynx Preservation Hangar.

Ups and Downs

Since visiting PNS Mehran 2001, there has been little investment - due largely to the Pakistan Government plugging more funds into an ageing Air Force (for F-16, AWACS and tanker acquisition and JF-17 production) and the Army's ongoing war against terrorism in North and South Waziristan. This Is nothing new to the poorer relations of Pakistan's military aviation community, However, the opening of the Gwadar deep seaport in late December 2009 and the reliance by energy-hungry China on Middle East and African oil pumping through the length of Pakistan means that the Navy must be able to protect commercial as well as strategic Interests.

The new P-3C Orion’s and Harbin Z-9 ASW helicopters will go some way to achieving that goal as will maritime strike JF-1 7s and a Fokker F27 replacement - but let us hope the future is not quite as turbulent as the past.

Pakistan Navy's Type 21 Frigates

Pak Navy………………… Ex Royal Navy name

PNS Babur………………. HMS Amazon /F169
PNS Badr………………… HMS Alacrity/F174
PNS Khaibar……………. HMS Arrow/F 173
PNS ShahJahan……….. HMS Active /IF171
PNS Tariq………………. HMS Ambuscade/Fl72
PNS TJppu Sultan…… HM5 Avenger/F185

Why Protecting Sea Assets is Important

The Indian Ocean is the third largest body of water on earth and is important for the transit of industrial goods by many of the region's states. Furthermore, the Indian Ocean region makes up a third of the world's population, 40% of the world's oil reserves and is home to two nuclear states – Pakistan and India, that don't always see eye to eye.

Pakistan is dependent upon the sea for over 90% of its trade, which you can witness for yourself when trying to negotiate the congested traffic around Karachi Port, However, head west around 300 miles (460km) and you will find the strategically important deep water port of Gwadar, which has benefited from huge financial investment by China. Opened in 2007, the port is as important to China as it is to Pakistan, but for different reasons. It will provide China with an energy-transport hub that will pump crude oil sourced from Arab and African states, along a new pipeline from Gwadar into China's Xinjiang region. It will effectively cut freight costs and also help insulate Chinese imports from interdiction by hostile naval forces. With huge increases in India's defense spending over the past decade or so, due partly to its aspiration as a blue-water Navy, both Pakistan and China are both wary of their long time foes' intentions.

Pakistan's Waters

Pakistan has a 600-mile (960km) coastline stretching from Sir Creek in the east to the Dasht river in the west, bordering lran. With it comes the responsibility of an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 92,700 sq. miles (240.000 sq. kms), which Pakistan is set to increase by another 21,200 sq. miles 55,000 sq. kms as per the UN Convention on Law of Sea (UNCLOS-1982).

Pak Navy-Sea and Surface Modernization

The Pakistan Navy is going through a period of modest modernization. It has recently received from China a third F-22P Frigate (PNS Saif) to join PNS ZulJlqar and PNS Shamsheer, while the fourth example on order is being constructed in Karachi.
China is also supplying two Fast Attack Craft (Missiles), and a formal ceremony to commence the manufacture of the first platform took place at Xinggang Shipyard in early March. One of the FAC (M) will be built there, while the other will be built in Karachi Docks. The pair will come with advanced anti-shipping missiles and sensors.
A number of other projects including indigenous construction of fleet support and auxiliary ships as well as other smaller utility craft are progressing.
The PN contracted the French company, DCN in June 2010 to modernize and extend the life of its existing Agosta 70 submarines, which work alongside three Agosta 90B class examples.

Pak Navy Aviation Order of Battle

27 Anti-Submarine Squadron Fokker F27
28 Maritime Strike Squadron P-3C Orion
29 Anti-Surface intelligence Warfare/Electronic Warfare
Squadron BR-1150 /Hawker 850Xl
111 Squadron Sea King Mk4S / 4SA
222 ASW Squadron Z-9EC
333 Squadron Alouette III

AFM
 
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Friday, September 14, 2012


Navy discusses operational preparedness



ISLAMABAD: The Command and Staff Conference (CSC) of Pakistan Navy on Thursday discussed security situation, operational preparedness and ongoing projects at the Naval Headquarters.

According to the headquarters spokesman, Naval Chief Admiral Asif Sandila chaired the conference. All principal staff officers and fields’ commands also participated.

In the conference issues pertaining to security situation, operational preparedness, significant ongoing projects, future plans of Pakistan Navy and rendering of relief support by PN to meet any contingency owing to recent rains were discussed.

The naval chief expressed satisfaction over operational preparedness of PN in the wake of prevalent maritime challenges at regional and international arena.

While taking stock of the development projects, the chief reiterated the need for prioritising and pacing up the progress, particularly on enhancing combat efficiency of the PN and the projects related to Makran Coast for welfare and uplift of the Baloch, including the project of the Junior Naval Academy at Ormara. staff report
 
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Monday, September 24, 2012


Pakistan Coast Guards seizes huge quantity of hashish


KARACHI: Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) seized a huge quantity of hashish from Naka Khari check post near Windar, Balochistan last night. PCG officials received credible information from intelligence sources about the smuggling of narcotics from RCD Highway near Naka Khari check post at Windar. A special mobile patrol was constituted for snap checking in the area. During checking PCG officials spotted a suspicious Hino truck loaded with apple crates. PCG officials challenged the truck to halt but truck driver tried to escape from the site. After few kilometers drive, the driver stopped the truck and managed to escape from the scene. PCG officials confiscated the truck. On searching the truck they recovered approximately 597 kilogrammes of fine quality of hashish (1 kg packets) and 8 x carts 40mm from the hidden cavities of diesel tank of the truck. One person has been taken into custody along with Hino truck. Approximate value of hashish in the market is Rs14,000,000. Further investigation was under process by PCG Special Investigation team. ppi
 
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Monday, September 24, 2012


Pakistan Coast Guards seizes huge quantity of hashish


KARACHI: Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) seized a huge quantity of hashish from Naka Khari check post near Windar, Balochistan last night. PCG officials received credible information from intelligence sources about the smuggling of narcotics from RCD Highway near Naka Khari check post at Windar. A special mobile patrol was constituted for snap checking in the area. During checking PCG officials spotted a suspicious Hino truck loaded with apple crates. PCG officials challenged the truck to halt but truck driver tried to escape from the site. After few kilometers drive, the driver stopped the truck and managed to escape from the scene. PCG officials confiscated the truck. On searching the truck they recovered approximately 597 kilogrammes of fine quality of hashish (1 kg packets) and 8 x carts 40mm from the hidden cavities of diesel tank of the truck. One person has been taken into custody along with Hino truck. Approximate value of hashish in the market is Rs14,000,000. Further investigation was under process by PCG Special Investigation team. ppi

Maritime Security Agency(MSA) aka Pakistan Coast Guards would look awesome if they have:
4 CN-295 Coast Guard
4-6 Z-9N
4-6 1500-1700 Ton Corvettes
And other Patrol Boats along with some UAVs as well.
 
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Thursday, September 27, 2012


Kuwait Navel commander visits PN headquarters



KARACHI: Brig Gen Jassim Mohammd Al-Ansari, Commander of Kuwait Naval Forces accompanied by his personal staff, is on an official visit to Pakistan.

Upon arrival at Naval headquarters, Commander of Kuwait Naval Forces was received by Chief of the Naval Staff. A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Navy clad in ceremonial dress, presented him the guard of honour. The visiting dignitary was then introduced to Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at Naval Headquarters.

Later, Brig Gen Jassim, called on Chief of Naval Staff in his office, where he held detailed discussion on professional matters with his counterpart. A comprehensive brief on PN Role in Regional Maritime Security Situation and Operational developments was also given to the visiting dignitary. The visiting dignitary is on a second leg of his tour and had earlier visited PN units and installations at Karachi. Brig Gen Jassim will also call on Defence Minister, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, MD Bahria Foundation & Commandant Pakistan Navy War College at Lahore.

The Brig Gen Jassim Muhammad Al-Ansari joined Kuwait Naval Forces in 1977. Besides commanding the Kuwait Naval Forces, he has had the privilege to hold a number of Command and Staff appointments including Command of Kuwait Navy Patrol & Missiles Boats, Flotilla Commander, Squadron Commander, Naval Attaché Australia and Operations Director. The honourable dignitary Brig Gen Jassim Muhammad Al-Ansari is a graduate of Pakistan Naval Academy. staff report
 
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Maritime Security Agency(MSA) aka Pakistan Coast Guards would look awesome if they have:
4 CN-295 Coast Guard
4-6 Z-9N
4-6 1500-1700 Ton Corvettes
And other Patrol Boats along with some UAVs as well.
MSA/CG would look great if it had a small helicoptercarrier... [facepalm]

Bu seriously, Coast Guards (civilian/paramilitary/law enforcement) don't get corvettes, they get OPVs at best: corvettes belong in the Navy (military).
 
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Pakistan Navy Aviation… At A Glance.

With a 600 mile (960 KM) coastline and the responsibility of an Economic Exclusion Zone of some 92,700 sq. Miles (240,000 sq.km) which is set up to increase by another 21,200 sq. Miles (55,000 sq. km), the PNA has a lot to keep its eyes on. Add a neighbor who is an old time foe looking to establish a blue water navy and the PNA’s ASW platforms are kept busy.

Pakistan is dependent on the Indian Ocean for 90% of its trade. Around 300 miles (460 km) west of the key port city of Karachi is the deep sea port of Gwadar, in which china has invested heavily. It is expected to take over the running of the port from Singapore PSA international in the future. The port, which is not far from the Iranian border, is just as much a strategic asset to china, because it will pump oil right through Pakistan into its own terminals, as it is Pakistan.

All this needs to be defended, in one of the most volatile areas in the world and much of that is done by the PNA.

Fixed Wing:
Having a fleet of eight P-3-CII Orion’s armed with the AGM-84 Harpoon ASM provides the PNA with a lethal maritime strike capability. The majority of them have been upgraded under the terms of the Pakistan upgrade program (PUP) with a capability to deploy the all-weather AGM-84H SLAM-ER standoff cruise missile. These Orion’s provide Pakistan with a search, surveillance and control capability to support maritime interdiction operations. The PNA should by now be operating ten P-3C Orion’s, but an attack by Taliban insurgents destroyed two. The sophisticated strike on PNS Mehran during May 22, 2011 by 15 insurgents of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan killed 18 military personnel and wounded 16. It also saw commander naval aviation, Commodore Raja Tahir removed from his post, replaced by Cdre. Khalid Pervez.

There has been some speculation that the lost Orion’s will be replaced to bring the fleet back to ten but this has not been confirmed. Augmenting the P-3C’s is a sole Atlantic, which can call upon the AM39 Exocet and hold up to eight torpedoes inside the bomb bay. It also has an Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) role which was highlighted when an Indian Air Force MiG-21 brutally shot down an example , while operating along the Pak-Indian border on August 10, 1999.

Until the recent delivery of the latest batch of P-3C’s in February (two) and September (one), the five veteran Fokker F-27-200MPA’s were the backbone of the PNA’s fixed wing ASW fleet. While three of them operate with a full spec-Ocean Master radar, the remaining pair and a sole F-27-400M were used for humanitarian tasks during the earthquakes and flooding’s in recent years.

The Fokker is now becoming a little long-in-the-tooth and the PNA has ordered two low-houred ex-airline ATR 72-500’s as an initial replacement, which will be used to train pilots and then they will be converted to ASW role. A single Hawker 850XP was delivered in October 2010 for the ELINT role.

Rotary:
On the helicopter side, the PNA soldiers on with the faithful Sea King MK45’s, acquired in the early 1970’s. They can be armed with the AM39 Exocet anti-shipping missile, and with work now underway on upgrading the Sea King fleet with the Selex Seaspray 5000 multi-mode surveillance radar, it will ensure that this sterling servant will continue to cause enemy ships a real headache.

Having dispensed with any hope of returning three ex-Royal Navy Lynx HAS3 which the PNA received in 1993, because of cost, the PNA opted to acquire six brand new Harbin Z-9EC in 2006. These Chinese built ASW helicopters work with the Pakistan Navy’s Type 21 Frigates but have been purchased primarily to operate from the new Chinese F-22P Zulfiqar class frigates as they enter service. They can be armed with torpedoes and are likely to be upgraded with a new data link system that will connect all of the Pakistan Navy’s ships and aircraft in the near future. Pakistan Air Force Mirage IIIs provide much needed support for the Navy with a maritime strike capability with the AM39 Exocet when required.

MSA:
While not part of the PNA, the maritime security agency (MSA) operates three BN-2 Islanders to patrol Pakistan’s burgeoning EEZ, but these are being dwarfed by the job ahead and it is likely they will be augmented by more aircraft or replaced.

Three BN-2s Islanders provide the MSAs 93 Squadron with an airborne surveillance capability. The third example joined the fleet in 2004, 11 years after the first pair were delivered.


Pakistan Navy Order of Battle:

27 Squadron……….F-27-200MPA/400 Friendship……….PNS Mehran
28 Squadron……….P-3C-II PUP…………PNS Mehran
29 Squadron……….BR 1150 Atlantic/Hawker 850XP……….PNS Mehran
111 Squadron……….Sea King MK45/45A……….PNS Mehran
222 Squadron………Harbin Z-9EC Haitun………PNS Mehran
333 Squadron……….SA 316/319 Alouette III ……….PNS Mehran
UAV Squadron………Uqab II……….PAF Base Korangi Creek

Maritime Surveillance Agency (MSA);
93 Squadron……….BN-2 Islanders……….PNS Mehran

• The P3C-II PUP has added teeth to the PN inventory. They are now equipped with eight, which can detect and destroy submarines if required. A sole example designated for spares inventory is now being upgraded and put back into PNA service.
• Having retired the three former Royal Navy Lynx a long time ago, the Pakistan Navy opted to replace them with six Harbin Z-9ECs in the Anti-Surface Warfare role.
• Although they are old the PNA’s Sea King MK45’s still provide sterling service and now they are being upgraded with the Selex Seaspray 5000 multi-mode surveillance radar they have found a new lease on life.


AFI/AFD
 
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........... Around 300 miles (460 km) west of the key port city of Karachi is the deep sea port of Gwadar, in which china has invested heavily. It is expected to take over the running of the port from Singapore PSA international in the future. The port, which is not far from the Iranian border, is just as much a strategic asset to china, because it will pump oil right through Pakistan into its own terminals, as it is Pakistan...............

How? Is there a pipeline even planned across the Hindu Kush? How is this pipedream (no pun intended) going to be realized?
 
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