The Pakistan Army Corps of Aviation is a military administrative and combined arms service branch of the Pakistan Army.[1]
| Pakistan Army Aviation Corps | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the Corps of Aviation | |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Branch |  Pakistan Army |
| Type | Combined and Combat support service |
| Role | Administrative and staffing oversight. |
| HQ/Garrison | Army GHQ in Rawalpindi, Punjab in Pakistan. |
| Nickname(s) | AVN |
| Colors identification | Purple, White, Yellow |
| Anniversaries | 1958 |
| Engagements | Military history of Pakistan |
| Commanders | |
| Director-General | Maj-Gen. Dr. Najeeb Ahmad |
| Notable commanders | Brigadier Zakaullah Bhangoo |
| Insignia | |
| War Flag |  |
| Patch |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack helicopter | AH-1 Cobra Mi-35M Hind-E Z-10ME Bell AH-1Z Viper |
| Multirole helicopter | AW139 Bell 412 Eurocopter Fennec |
| Trainer helicopter | 206 JetRanger Enstrom 280FX Schweizer 300C |
| Utility helicopter | Mi-17/171 SA 330 Puma Alouette III Eurocopter Écureuil SA 315B Lama UH-1 Huey |
| Reconnaissance | Super King Air 350i |
| Transport | Super King Air 350 Y-12 Turbo Commander 690C 206 Stationair 208 Caravan Citation V Citation Bravo G450 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2017) |
The Aviation Corps is tasked with configuration of all army aviation aircraft and provides principle close aerial combat support and aerial logistics for the Pakistan Army.[1]
Overview
editOriginally formed by the British Army Air Corps in 1942, the partition in 1947 of the former British Indian Army allowed the entire unit of the British Army's Air Corps to be transferred to the Pakistan Army.[1] Initially, the Aviation Corps was part of the Pakistan Air Force but was commissioned in the Pakistan Army after its personnel were trained and certified in the United States in 1958.: 32 [2][3] The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering started to maintain the aircraft and helicopters given by the U.S. Army's Aviation Branch, opening its own aviation school in 1959.[4]
Since the 1960s, the corps expanded in momentum, manpower, and its operational scope has widened.[4] The Aviation Corps became a combat support branch when it inducted its first attack helicopters from Iran in 1970.[4] The Aviation Corps is commanded by an active-duty two star major-general, who serves as its director-general and functions directly under the Chief of the General Staff at the Army GHQ in Rawalpindi, Punjab.[5]
Aircraft inventory
editThe Pakistan Army operates 314+ helicopters alongside several fixed-wing aircraft.
3 CAIC Z-10 attack helicopters of China were delivered for trial use so that orders could be made in the future. However, as of 2018, no orders have been made further and replaced by TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK, this could mean that these 3 helicopters were returned with no follow-up order.[citation needed]
15 Bell AH-1Z Viper with Hellfire missiles, equipment and support worth $952 million were on order but are on hold due to political tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan.[6]
30 TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK worth $1.5 billion is on order however production is still on hold due to the United States not giving export license for the engine, which is of American origin. New Turkish indigenous engine as a replacement is currently on trials.[7]
After the United States failed to deliver the AH-1Z and the problems with the Turkish T129, the Pakistan Army again is showing interests in Chinese all-weather, multirole CAIC Z-10ME which is the advanced and upgraded variant of the CAIC Z-10.[8]
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Retired Aircraft
edit- Auster 5 1947–1957
- Auster AOP.6 1947–1957
- Cessna O-1 Bird Dog 1957–1990
- Beechcraft U-8F Seminole 1963–1983
- Bell Model 47 1964–1990
- Bell OH-13 Sioux 1964–1990
- Mil Mi-8 1969–1998
Notable accidents and incidents
edit- 2022 Pakistan Army helicopter incident
- 29 March 2022 – Eight UN peacekeepers, six Pakistanis, a Russian and a Serb, part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were killed in a crash of a Puma helicopter operated by the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps while on a reconnaissance mission in the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained.[17][18][19][20]
- 2019 Pakistan Army military plane crash
- 2015 Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash
- 2009 Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c PA, Pakistan Army. "Army Aviation-Pakistan Army". Pakistan Army. Pakistan Army Aviation Corps. Archived from the original on 17 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ Karim, Afsir (1996). Indo-Pak Relations: Viewpoints, 1989-1996. Lancer Publishers. ISBN 978-1-897829-23-3. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ Global Security. "Army Aviation Corps". Global Security inc. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ a b c The United States Government (CIA Fact Book) (2011). Pakistan Intelligence and Security Activities Army Aviation Corps. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-7397-1194-1. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
- ^ Alam, Dr Shah (1 July 2012). Pakistan Army: Modernisation, Arms Procurement and Capacity Building. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-93-81411-79-7. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "Nine Pakistan AH-1Z now stored at AMARG". AirForces Monthly. Key Publishing. May 2019. p. 26.
- ^ "Turkey First Indigenous Helicopter Engine to be Ready for Integration This Year". Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news". Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "World Air Forces 2022". Flightglobal Insight. 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2022". Flightglobal Insight. 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2022". Flightglobal Insight. 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- ^ "2023 World Air Forces directory". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ "List of AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters in Pakistan". Helis.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ Siddiqui, Naveed (31 March 2017). "Pakistan Army receives six Cessna aircraft from US". dawn.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ "Cessna 560 Citation V – Pakistan – Army". airliners.net. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "Gulfstream G450". jetphotos.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ "Eight killed as UN helicopter crashes in eastern DRC". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Six Pakistan Army officers, soldiers martyred in UN copter crash". The Express Tribune. 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ Siddiqui, Naveed (29 March 2022). "Six Pakistani officers, soldiers martyred in helicopter crash in Congo: ISPR". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Eight UN peacekeepers killed in helicopter crash in DRC". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
External links
edit- ISPR. "History of Pakistan Army Aviation". YouTube. Retrieved 21 December 2011.