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Pakistan Navy
Pakistan NavyChief of Naval Staff
Noman Bashir
Components
Pakistan Coast Guard
Pakistan Marines
Special Service Group Navy
Naval Bases
Islamabad (NHQ)
Karachi
Gwadar
Ormara
Port Qasim
Pasni
Institutions
Pakistan Navy War College
Pakistan Naval Academy
Strategic Institute for Maritime Affairs
National Defence University
History and Traditions
Navy Day is on September 8
Military history of Pakistan
Awards, Decorations and Badges
Awards and Decorations
Nishan-e-Haider
Pakistan Navy (Urdu: پاک بحریہ) better known as Pak Behria is the naval branch of the military of Pakistan. It is responsible for Pakistan's 1,046 kilometer (650 mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important harbors. It is a modern and highly dependable force that operates a wide range of ships ranging from cruisers to destroyers as well as submarines.[1] Navy day is celebrated on September 8 in commemoration of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
Contents
· 1 History· 2 Personnel
o 2.1 Naval General Staff
o 2.2 List of Naval Chiefs
· 3 Organization
o 3.1 Ranks
· 4 Training institutions
· 5 Special Forces
· 6 The fleet
o 6.1 Submarines
o 6.2 Frigates
o 6.3 Corvettes & missile boats
o 6.4 Aviation
o 6.5 Others
· 7 PN Role in War on Terror
· 8 See also
· 9 Notes
· 10 References
· 11 External links
History
The birth of the Royal Pakistan Navy came with the creation of Pakistan on 14 August 1947. The Armed Forces Reconstitution Committee (AFRC) divided the Royal Indian Navy between both India and Pakistan. The Royal Pakistan Navy secured two sloops, two frigates, four minesweepers, two naval trawlers, four harbour launches and some 358 personnel (180 officers and 34 ratings), and given the high percentage of delta areas on the Pakistan coast the Navy was given a number of Harbour Defence Motor Launches.
At the time of independence, the following Royal Indian Navy officers opted to join the Royal Pakistan Navy. The ranks displayed in this list are their ranks upon retirement from the Navy.
· Vice Admiral H.M.S. Choudri (Late) P. No 1
· Vice Admiral A.R. Khan (Late)
· Commodore I.K. Mumtaz
· Commodore Mahmud-ul-Hasan (Late) P. No 3
· Commodore Akhtar Hanif (Late)
· Commodore Khalid Jamil (Late)
· Vice Admiral S. M. Ahsan (Late)
· Vice Admiral Muzaffar Hasan P. No 73
· Commodore M.B.A. Awan (Late) P.No 76
· Vice Admiral H.H. Ahmed (Late)
· Commodore Ikram-ul-Haq Malik P. No 102
· Lieutenant Commander Maqbool Ahmed Ansari (Late) P. No 137
· Admiral Muhammad Shareef, P. No 138
· Commodore S B Salimi (Late)
· Commodore S.M. Anwar (Late)
· Captain C.S. Ahmed (Late)
· Commander Sultan Mahmood Malik (Late) P. No 156
· Lieutenant Commander Badaruddin Ahmed (Late)
· Lieutenant Commander Shaikh Abdul Qadir (Late)
· Lieutenant Commander M.N. Khan (Late)
The Royal Pakistan Navy saw no action during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 as all the fighting was restricted to land warfare. In 1956 the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was proclaimed under the 1956 constitution. The prefix Royal was dropped and the service was re-designated as the Pakistan Navy, or "PN" for short. The PN Jack and Pakistan flag replaced the Queen's colour and the white ensign respectively. The order of precedence of the three services changed from Navy, Army, Air force to Army, Navy, Air Force. In February 1956, the British government announced supplying of several major surface combatants to Pakistan. These Warships, a cruiser and four destroyers were purchased with funds made available under the US Military Assistance Program. The acquisition of a few additional warships that is two destroyers, eight coastal minesweepers and an oiler (between 1956-63) was the direct result of Pakistan's participation in the anti-Communist defence pacts of SEATO and CENTO.
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 the navy was involved in a conflict for the first time. Apart from carrying out a limited bombardment of the coastal town of Dwaraka - codenamed Operation Dwarka, the navy's submarine PNS Ghazi was deployed against Indian Navy's western fleet at Bombay (Mumbai) port [4].
Daphne class submarine Ghazi (S-134)
The Navy's role changed in Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 when the military was caught in the thick of the battle. With East Pakistan having been surrounded on all three sides by the Indian Army, the Navy was under immense pressure to protect the coast. Despite the isolated incident, the sinking of an Indian frigate INS Khukri by the submarine PNS Hangor, the Navy was largely overrun. The major threat from the much dreaded PNS Ghazi - the only long range submarine - was nullified when it was sunk in the Bay of Bengal under unexplained circumstances[2], thus enabling an easy blockade on East Pakistan.[3] The damage inflicted by both Indian Navy and Indian Air Force on Pakistan Navy stood at seven gunboats, one submarine, one minesweeper, two destroyers, three patrol crafts belonging to the coast guard, 18 cargo, supply and communication vessels, with some more crafts damaged, and large scale destruction inflicted on the naval base and Docks in the coastal town of Karachi. Three merchant navy ships -- Anwar Baksh, Pasni, Madhumathi[4] -- and ten smaller vessels were captured.[5] The total number of personnel losses came to about 1900 and 1413 servicemen were captured by Indian forces in Dhaka(Official Pakistan losses).[6] In contrast the Indian Navy lost 212 personnel, a frigate (another frigate damaged) and a naval plane Breguet Alizé to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).[6] According to one Pakistan scholar, Tariq Ali, Pakistan Navy lost a third of its force in the war.[7] The primary reason for this loss has been attributed to the central command's failure in defining a role for the Navy - or the military in general, in East Pakistan. Since then the Navy has sought to improve the structure and fleet by putting special emphasis on sub-surface warfare capability as it allows for the most efficient way to deny the control of Pakistani sea lanes to the adversary.
PNS Nazim which previously took part in the Vietnam and Korean wars with the USN
Following the breakup of Pakistan, the Navy sought to diversify its purchases instead of depending solely on the United States, which had placed an arms embargo on both India and Pakistan. It sought more vessels from France and China. The Pakistan Navy thus became the first navy in South Asia to acquire land based missile capable long range reconnaissance aircraft.[8] During the 1980s the Pakistan Navy enjoyed un-preceded growth. It doubled its surface fleet from 8 to 16 surface combatants in 1989. In 1982, the Reagan administration approved US$3.2 billion military and economic aid to Pakistan. Pakistan acquired eight Brooke and Garcia-class frigates from US Navy on a five year lease in 1988. A depot for repairs, EX-USS HECTOR followed the lease of these ships in April 1989. However after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 US President George Bush was advised to no longer certify that Pakistan was not involved in the development of nuclear weapons and the Pressler’s Amendment was invoked on 1 October 1990. The lease of the first Brooke class frigate expired in March 1993, the remaining in early 1994. This seriously impaired the Pakistan Navy, which was composed almost entirely of former US origin ships. Pakistan began to concentrate on self-reliance for its defense production.[citation needed]
The Atlantique Incident was a major international incident on 10 August 1999 where a Pakistan Navy plane (Breguet Atlantic) with 16 on board was shot down in the border area of the Kutch region with Pakistan and India both claiming the aircraft to be in their respective airspace by Indian Air Force jets. The wreckage however, fell well within Pakistani territory, giving credence to the Pakistani claim. It resulted in escalated tensions between the two neighboring countries.[citation needed]
The Navy has been involved in some peacetime operations, most notably during the tsunami tragedy that struck on December 26, 2004. Pakistan sent vessels to Sri Lanka and the Maldives to help in rescue and relief work.[citation needed]
Personnel
The Pakistan Navy has around 24,000 active personnel and 5,000 in reserve.[9] The force includes a small Naval Air Arm and the approximately 2,000 member paramilitary Maritime Security Agency, charged primarily with protecting Pakistan's exclusive economic zone(EEZ)[9]. The Navy also comprises the Special Services Group Navy, a marine commando unit as well as a Marine unit, both stationed at Karachi. The SSG(N) and Marines are believed to number around 1,000 in troop strength each. Pakistan Navy recently began inducting women for combat positions apart from the existing administrative posts, becoming one of the few Islamic Republics to do so.[10]
Naval General Staff
· Admiral Noman Bashir — Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)
· Vice Admiral Asaf Humayun — Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS)
· Vice Admiral Saleem Ahmed Meenai — Commander Karachi (COMKAR)
· Vice Admiral Nayyar Iqbal — Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Material)
· Vice Admiral Mahmood Ahmed Khan — Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Projects)
· Rear Admiral Bakhtiar Mohsin — Commander Logistics (COMLOG)
· Rear Admiral Mohammed Shafi — Commander Coast (COMCOAST)
· Rear Admiral Agha Danish — Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST)
· Rear Admiral Shahid Iqbal— Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Training & Personnel)
· Rear Admiral M Asif Sandila — Commander Pakistan Fleet (COMPAK)
· Rear Admiral Tanveer Faiz — Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Operations)
· Rear Admiral Waqar Siddiq — Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Supply)
· Rear Admiral Abbas Raza - Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Projects-2)
· Rear Admiral Zaka ullah - Chief Inspector (Navy)
· Commodore Syed Hasan Mustafa — Commander North (COMNOR)
List of Naval Chiefs
1. Rear Admiral James Wilfred Jefford (August 15, 1947 - January 30, 1953)[11]
2. Vice Admiral Haji Mohammad Siddiq Choudri (January 31, 1953 - 28 February 1959)[11]
3. Vice Admiral Afzal Rahman Khan (March 1, 1959 - October 20, 1966)[11]
4. Vice Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan (October 20, 1966 - August 31, 1969)[11]
5. Vice Admiral Muzaffar Hassan (September 1, 1969 - December 22, 1971)[11]
6. Vice Admiral Hasan Hafeez Ahmed (March 3, 1972 - March 9, 1975)[11]
7. Admiral Mohammad Sharif (March 23, 1975 - March 21, 1979)[11]
8. Admiral Karamat Rahman Niazi (March 22, 1979 - March 23, 1983)[11]
9. Admiral Tariq Kamal Khan (March 23, 1983 - April 9, 1986)[11]
10. Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey (April 9, 1986 - November 9, 1988)[11]
11. Admiral Yastur-ul-Haq Malik (November 10, 1988 - November 8, 1991)[11]
12. Admiral Saeed Mohammad Khan (November 9, 1991 - November 9, 1994)[11]
13. Admiral Mansural Haque (November 10, 1994 - May 1, 1997)[11]
14. Admiral Fasih Bokhari (May 2, 1997 - October 2, 1999)[11]
15. Admiral Abdul Aziz Mirza (October 2, 1999 - October 2, 2002)[11]
16. Admiral Shahid Karimullah (October 3, 2002 - October 6, 2005)
17. Admiral Afzal Tahir (October 7, 2005 - October 7, 2008)
18. Admiral Noman Bashir (October 7, 2008 - present)
Organization
The supreme commander of the Navy is the Chief of the Naval Staff. Admiral Noman Bashir is the current Chief of the Navy.
The navy has six commands:
· COMKAR(Commander Karachi) - Looks after the shore establishments of the Navy which provide services and traning falilities for the PN. He also looks after the protocol at Karachi. His responsibilities also include harbour defence.
· COMPAK(Commander Pakistan Fleet) - The command heads the surface, sub surface and aviation commands. Infact this command is the war fighting machine having 4 dimentional components.
· COMCOAST(Commander COAST) - The special command of SSG(N), Marines and Coastal stations.
· COMLOG(Commander Logistics) - This command looks after the repair, maintenance and logistic infrastructure of PN.
· FOST(FLAG OFFICER SEA TRAINING) Conducts all types of operational training at Sea
· COMNOR(Commander North) - Looks after the Naval installations in the north of Pakistan;
The naval bases along the coast are Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and Jiwani.
Ranks
PN Officer RanksRank / Admiral(Adm) / Vice Admiral / Rear Admiral / Commodore / Captain / Commander / Lieutenant Commander / Lieutenant / Sub Lieutenant / Midshipman
Uniform insignia
PN Sailor Ranks
Rank / Master Chief Petty Officer / Fleet Chief Petty Officer / Chief Petty Officer / Petty Officer / Leading Seaman
Uniform insignia
Training institutions
Pakistani navy Commodore Khan Hasham Bin Saddique, left, hands a spyglass to French navy Rear Adm. Jean L. Kerignard during a change of command ceremony aboard PNS Tippu Sultan (D 186) while in port at Mina Salman Pier, Bahrain, Feb. 25, 2008.
Pakistan Navy has an academy of its own called the Pakistan Naval Academy, it is the home of initial training of officers of Pakistan Navy. The academy also has provided basic training to the officers of Allied Navies. The Chief of Naval Staff of Qatar Emiri Navy and many high ranking officers of Royal Saudi Navy as well as other navies in the Gulf were graduates of the PNA. The academy is a full fledged training institution catering to the needs to Pakistani junior Naval officers. The Navy also has its own navy war college called the Pakistan Navy War College [5] specializing in imparting Naval Warfare techniques to officers of the Pakistan marine forces.
Other worthwhile training institutions are:
PNS Bahadur: conducts specialist courses.
PNS Himalaya: for basic training of sailors.
PNS Karsaz: It is the Largest and the most organized technical training Establishment of Pakistan Navy. The establishment has the previlige to host many heads of states since its commissioning. It is considered the mother unit of PNS MEHRAN, PNS JAUHAR, PNS BAHADUR, ASD and other PN units in that area. The unit celebrated its golden gubilee in 2003 under the command of Cdre M B Chaudhry.
PNS Jauhar: for technical training of officers.
PNS Jauhar has been absorbed by the National University of Sciences and Technology and has become its constituent Pakistan Navy Engineering College, where officers and civilian students are offered degrees in Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics Engineering.