Page 37 - Military Technology 12/2018

Features MT 12/2018 · 35

Composition, Chain of Command Organisation of the PAF is based on three regional commands with over
and Deployment 460 fighter and attack aircraft (of which about 425 are combat-capable),
about 50 transports and 150 trainers, 15 helicopters and some UAVs. Air
assets are divided among two air superiority wings (four squadrons), three
According to International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimates, tactical attack wings (ten squadrons), and a single fighter/bomber wing of
Pakistan has the sixth largest armed forces in the world (about 936,000), three squadrons, a fighter training wing (two squadrons) and a transport
with 653,800 active-duty military personnel, a further 523,000 in the re- wing of four. In addition, there is a single electronic warfare and airborne
serves and some 282,000 in various paramilitary units. This all-volunteer early warning and control squadron, seven helicopter squadrons and four
force consists of the 560,000-strong Army (PA), the Navy (PN) of 23,800 – training squadrons.
including the Naval Air Arm, Marines (3,200) and Maritime Security Agency The PN includes two operational and three regional commands and its
(PMSA) with 2,000 – and the 70,000-strong Air Force (PAF), under the assets consist of five conventional submarines, three midget vessels, nine
control of the MoD. Additionally, there are several paramilitary forces with frigates, ten light combatants, three mine warfare vessels and six auxilia-
specific functions – the National Guard (185,000), Frontier Corps (70,000), ries. The Naval Air Arm operates three anti-submarine warfare squadrons
Pakistan Rangers (25,000) and Coast Guard (2,100). Estimates of their with 16 maritime patrol aircraft and two rotary-wing squadrons with 34
strength differ significantly, rising to 420,000: they are controlled by several helicopters. There is also one coastal defence regiment and four battalions
government departments, mainly the Ministry of Interior (MoI). of Marines. The PMSA operates four OPVs and eight patrol vessels.
The Pakistani military also maintain robust intelligence capabilities: Some 60-70% of the military’s manpower is deployed predominantly
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is a joint organisation which is assisted by along the border with India and the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir,
the intelligence arms of the individual armed services – the directorates but also for internal security operations, especially in the Federally
of Military Intelligence (MI), Naval Intelligence (NI) and Air Intelligence (AI). Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Baluchistan. The armed forces have
Pakistan’s official 2018 defence budget is approx. $9.5 billion, equating suffered higher losses of military personnel combating terrorism than any
to some 3.4% of GDP. However, real defence spending is higher, as in the other country. According to IISS, Pakistan also suffered around 1,250
case of China (globally the second largest), India (fifth) and other countries fatalities among civilians in both 2016 and 2017. It is a member of the
in the region, as it excludes, for example, military pensions, the nuclear multinational Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) and the
weapons programme and the costs of ongoing domestic counter-terror- Navy regularly contributes to Coalition Maritime Forces (CMF) with frigates,
ism and counter-insurgency operations. operating in the Arabian Sea. Pakistan is one of the largest contributors to
The PA currently operates five regional commands and one air defence the United Nation’s peacekeeping operations around the world, especially
command, along with nine corps headquarters. The force totals 25 divi- in Africa. Today, it maintains substantial military deployments in the Central
sions (two armoured, two mechanised, one artillery, 18 infantry and two air African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, with a small
defence) and 31 independent brigades (ten armoured, one mechanised, humanitarian and observer presence in Somalia, South Sudan, Liberia and
seven artillery, 11 infantry and two anti-tank), as well as three Special Western Sahara.
Services Group (SSG) battalions. They are equipped with over 1,700 MBTs The original traditions and rank system of the armed forces were British,
and 2,000 armoured fighting vehicles, over 500 self-propelled and 1,500 but their command structure resembles the American model. The President
towed artillery systems. The Army Aviation Corps operates 11 rotary-wing is the Commander-in-Chief and the military chain of command is headed
and three liaison squadrons, with over 180 combat and utility helicopters
and about 170 light aircraft. Tomas Chlebecek is a defence journalist and a regular contributor to MT.