| Pakistan Army Aviation Corps | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 14 August 1947 - |
| Country |
 Pakistan |
| Branch |
 Pakistan Army |
| Type | Military aviation |
| Headquarters/Garrison | Dhamial Army Air Base |
| Nickname(s) | Army Aviation |
| Engagements | see Military history of Pakistan |
| Decorations |
4xSitara-i-Jurat 5xSitara-i-Basalat 15xTamgha-i-Basalat |
| Commanders | |
| Army Air Commander | Maj.Gen Nasir Dilawar Shah |
| Notable commanders | BGen Zhaka Bhangou |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | AH-1 Cobra |
| Utility helicopter |
IAR 330 Aerospatiale Alouette III Aérospatiale Puma Eurocopter AS350 Bell UH-1 Huey Bell 412 206 Jet Ranger |
| Transport |
Aero Commander 840 Cessna Citation Bravo Mil Mi-17 |
| Tanker | Harbin Y-12 |
The Pakistan Army Aviation Corp (Urdu: ﺁرمى اويشن كور; Army Aviation Core), abbreviated as AAC, is an active combatant military administrative staff corps tasked with carrying out the military air operations, and responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation unit.[1]
History[]
Originally formed by British Army Air Corps in 1942, the entire unit was transfer to Pakistan in 1947.[1] The officers and personnel were part of the Air Observation Post who were deployed in support of Punjab Boundary Force. Later the entire group was stationed at Chaklala Air Force Base before the partition of India.[1]
Initially part of PAF, the Corps was split into the new service and became part of Pakistan Army in 1958.[2] The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering started to maintain the aircraft and helicopters given by the United States Army Aviation Branch, opening its own aviation school in 1959.[3]
Since the 1960s, the corps expanded in momentum, manpower, and its operational scope has widened.[3] By the 1970s, the Corps became a fighting air component of the Pakistan Army, with its attack helicopters becoming the backbone of military operations.[3] The Corps has become an integral part of Pakistan Army's every imitated operations, and came to public and international notice in the 1970s after initiating, and successfully quelling, the serious civil war in Balochistan.[2]
It is also a most decorated Corps of Pakistan Army, with more national citations and awards conferred and bestowed to this Corps than any combatant corps of Pakistan Army. Although it came into existence in 1947, the corps was given a full commission in 1977.[2]
Combat operations[]
As for its war capabilities, the Corps has a long history; participating in every conflict and war with India, they also led and flew bombing and combat missions in the Afghanistan war, Somalian War, Sierra Leone war, Mozambique war, Sri Lankan war Bosnian war, and recently, the War in North-West Pakistan.[1]
The Corps also initiated the non-combatant operations in 2005, when it led a massive airlift and re-location mission after the Kashmir earthquake.[2] In 1991, the Corps was stationed in Bangladesh, where they completed its non-combat mission after the country was hit with a cyclone.[2] Since its inception, the Corps has became a significant combatant arm of the Pakistan Army, poised for a definite and critical role be it peace or war.[1]
Aircraft inventory[]
Pakistan Army operates nearly 400 helicopters alongside several aircraft.
| Aircraft/System | Role | Quantity | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AH-1F/S Cobra |
Attack helicopter | 51[4] | One squadron supplied in 2010.[5] | |
IAR 330 |
utility helicopter | 4 | ||
Eurocopter Fennec |
Attack Helicopter | 6 | At least 20 AS550 C3 ordered, currently under tests in Rawalpindi | |
Harbin Y-12 |
Utility aircraft | 2 | ||
Cessna Citation Bravo |
Transport aircraft | 2[4] | ||
Aero Commander 840 |
Transport aircraft | 2[4] | ||
Mil Mi-17 |
Transport helicopter | 93 | ||
| Bell 206 Jet Ranger |
Utility helicopter | 20[4] | ||
Bell 412 |
Utility helicopter | 58[6] | ||
Bell UH-1 Huey |
Utility helicopter | 45[7] | ||
Eurocopter AS350 |
Utility helicopter | 10[4] | ||
Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma |
Utility helicopter | 60[4] | ||
Aerospatiale SA.316 Alouette III |
Utility helicopter | 15[4] | ||
| 115 Mushshak, Super Mushshak Upgraded from previous Mushshak.[8] Some MFI-17 to be upgraded to Super Mushshak standard according to a November 2004 report.[9] Six lost to crashes.[10] | ||||
Beechcraft Super King Air |
SIGINT & ISR | 3 | One recently ordered. |
Retired Aircraft[]
.
- Auster 5
- Auster AOP.6
- Aerospatiale SA 315B Lama
- Bell Model 47
- Bell OH-13 Sioux
- Bell Model 205
- Cessna O-1 Bird Dog
- Mil Mi-8 Hip
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 PA, Pakistan Army. "Army Aviation-Pakistan Army". Pakistan Army. Pakistan Army Aviation Corps. http://www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk/AWPReview/TextContent.aspx?pId=24&rnd=454#History. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Global Security. "Army Aviation Corps". Global Security inc. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/pakistan/aviation-corps.htm. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The United States Government (CIA Fact Book) (2011). Pakistan Intelligence and Security Activities Army Aviation Corps. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government. pp. 259. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/0-7397-1194-7|0-7397-1194-7]]. http://books.google.com/books?id=ud8TM7Pc67sC&pg=PA147&dq=pakistan+army+aviation+corps&hl=en&ei=HoLxTvrhHsKqiQKG0M2yDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=2&ved=0CDgQ6wEwAQ#v=onepage&q=pakistan%20army%20aviation%20corps&f=false.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Directory: World Air Forces." Flight International, 11–17 November 2008. Retrieved: 1 August 2010.
- ↑ ONLINE – International News Network. Onlinenews.com.pk. Retrieved on 4 June 2011.
- ↑ More Bell 412s for Pakistan’s Military
- ↑ bell | cessna | lockheed jetstar | 2004 | 09–2372 | Flight Archive. Flightglobal.com (2004-11-22). Retrieved on 4 June 2011.
- ↑ af af | trng trng | latin america | 2003 | 0344 | Flight Archive. Flightglobal.com (2003-02-17). Retrieved on 2012-07-01.
- ↑ air force | combat aircraft | super lynx | 2004 | 09–2371 | Flight Archive. Flightglobal.com (2004-11-22). Retrieved on 2012-07-01.
- ↑ ASN Aviation Safety Database results. aviation-safety.net
Media Gallery[]
- ISPR. "History of Pakistan Army Aviation". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQt_xZmfYoA. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
| ||||||||||||||||
The original article can be found at Pakistan Army Aviation Corps and the edit history here.