Names for new air chief shortlisted

[Muradk]

I highly doubt that we will get he B/52, If they give us he B/52 we will be in trouble because they will come up with a demand which might not be welcomed by he masses or by he Army.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

I highly doubt that we will get he B/52, If they give us he B/52 we will be in trouble because they will come up with a demand which might not be welcomed by he masses or by he Army.

Sir i thought that the issue was cleared back in 2006? god forbids incase of F-16 are once again held back from PAK what alternative choice does PAF have other then JF-17 and FC-20.
Or will we buy second hand Mirage-2000 and give them MLU in shape of M-2005-9?

 

[fatman17]

Our media does not understand that under the Chief of Air Staff, there is a Vice Chief of Air Staff and under them are DCAS (a few). So Deputy and Vice get mixed up quite a bit.

I too think that the posts of CAS PAF and CNS PN are typically not political appointments and usually the incumbent Chief's recommendations are taken into considerations in the final selection.

The post of the Chief of the Army Staff is a different issue as they can be movers of the governments. My sole concern here is what will become of the Army chief once Kiyani retires as he is not a yes man. Usually what we have seen is that even when perceived yes men have been appointed, it does not always work out. I believe Gens Gul Hassan, Zia and Musharraf were certainly not yes men but were perceived to be as such by the then civilian leadership to their own detriment.

my feeling is that Kiyani will get the 1-yr extension (due to WoT in FATA), barring which the next chief will also come from the ISI !

 

[batmannow]

my feeling is that Kiyani will get the 1-yr extension (due to WoT in FATA), barring which the next chief will also come from the ISI !

fatman17;dear sir,
what happen if crunnt govt, kicked out by the opposition!
thn i guss , he can get 3 more years?
but 1 thing is for sure, democrats arent going to give what , pakistan needs, they would be looking for thier own needs!

plz remember, OBAMMA , who said that "he would like to attack , pakistan(nwfp) if the things , not worked out!

 

[fatman17]

fatman17;dear sir,
what happen if crunnt govt, kicked out by the opposition!
thn i guss , he can get 3 more years?
but 1 thing is for sure, democrats arent going to give what , pakistan needs, they would be looking for thier own needs!

plz remember, OBAMMA , who said that "he would like to attack , pakistan(nwfp) if the things , not worked out!

what ever happens to the civilian govt. one thing is constant. The Pakistan Armed Forces!.it is entirely up to the civilians to show some solidarity in their ranks if they want to be part of the "ball game"
what Obama said during this election campaign and what he will say now that he is president will surprise you!

 

[XYON]

my feeling is that Kiyani will get the 1-yr extension (due to WoT in FATA), barring which the next chief will also come from the ISI !

I have my reservations about that due to Army's internal dynamics!! Kiyani will retire on time and the next chief will be from a fighting arm not necessarily having served in the ISI! However by that time Zardari would be in Dubai as a civilian and not as the President of Pakistan.

 

[mean_bird]

Air chief starts farewell visits to PAF bases

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed paid a visit to the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and PAF’s Minhas base at Kamra on Wednesday. Upon his arrival, he received the ceremonial guard of honour from a PAF contingent. While addressing officers, joint chiefs of staff, airmen and civilians, he stressed on the need to remain focused for a smooth transition to meet the ever-demanding challenges of the 21st century. The PAF chief, who would step down as the PAF head next month after completing his three-year tenure, advised that efforts be maintained to keep the PAF ‘lean, efficient and hard-hitting’.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[z9-ec]

 

[fatman17]

^^^I would add that the ACMs tour-of-duty was successful!

 

[Zob]

lol i love the fact that we all love our PRESIDENT SO MUCH!! ....but i hope whoever becomes our ACM is a professional and is not a man on paper and has some experience and a backbone to ask for funds to improve PAF further. two things i want from our ACM

1) Improve our ties with foreign airforces and do excercies and improve our tactics

2) look elsewhere for weapons upgrade rather than towards the US only... make Pakistan more dependant on Europe rather than US.

well this is just my opinion

 

[mean_bird]

Many people have confirmed that ACM Shahid Latif will be the next ACM. Here's a little background of him and the other contenders.

Pakistan is facing multiple problems on regional level and the gravest of all is terrorism which is hampering relations with our neighboring country. The Indians are trying to take advantage of this for their own interests. As a result, war like situation prevails which is quite evident at least on the diplomatic front. In this scenario, all decisions at the national level matter a lot. President Asif Ali Zardari recently had mad a decision of this nature by appointing Admiral Noman Bashir as the Naval Chief of Staff in accordance with merit. Now the decision of appointment of the Air Chief is getting near. Three years tenure of the incumbent Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) will be culminating on the 18th of March, 2009. Traditionally, the nomination of the CAS designate takes place four to five weeks earlier, in this case by the 12th to 18th of February, 2009.

As always, speculations have already started making the rounds; but the decision this time is apparently quite simple, and as such the President should not have any difficulty in making the right selection. The CAS designate ought to have the experience, exposure and the caliber to lead PAF into the next three years with confidence, as the air threat has become highly complex and in our scenario, the chances of it materializing have increased manifold. The number one choice is obviously, the present Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS), Air Marshal Shahid Lateef. He joined the PAF in September, 1971 and was commissioned in April, 1974. As the top appointment holder in PAF Academy, he graduated with top honours, and was awarded the coveted Sword of Honour. Due to his outstanding performance on the Chinese F-6 aircraft, he converted on to the French Mirages at an early stage of his career. Then he was selected in the elite group of first six PAF pilots to undergo F-16 conversion in the USA. Shahid Latif was the first pilot to ferry the F-16 from USA to Pakistan in 1982, and subsequently, formed part of the pioneer team for training pilots in Pakistan on the F-16 weapon system. He along with these very pilots flew numerous combat missions in defense of the country at the height of Afghan war in the 1980s. He was sent to UAE where he was entrusted with the command of a Mirage squadron; this honour is unprecedented in the Arab countries as only the locals are given such sensitive and prestigious appointments. With this high- profile record, he was selected to command a fighter squadron, fighter wing and a fighter base in the PAF.

On being promoted to the rank of Air vice Marshal, he was handed over the JF-17 project; a programme that was not able to take off due to serious difficulties, forcing the PAF to continue to operate obsolete equipment. Through his relentless efforts, the JF-17 was picked up from the drawing board and ultimately launched into the skies. The completion of this modern fighter aircraft in less than three years is a record in the recent aircraft development history. It was due to his persevering commitment and the unparalleled progress made by this project that he led this very prestigious national strategic programme for five years as the Chief Project Director. The PAF and indeed the country are indebted to him for this supreme contribution that he has made towards building up the operational capability of the PAF. The aircraft has tremendous potential for export and could thus play a major role in uplifting the national economy by earning hundreds of millions of dollars for Pakistan. The JF-17 has entered into the PAF and it would go on replacing all aircraft on the PAF inventory except the F-16s which have a remaining life. After this proud achievement, AVM Shahid was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal and appointed as the Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations). One and a half year later, he took over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, the position he holds till today. He is a graduate of Naval War Course and the Armed Forces War Course. He has led the PAF in many war games held at the National level. Despite his enviable career, he is a very polite, humble and God fearing individual. He is married and has four daughters. The number two officer in terms of seniority is Air Marshal Khalid Chaudhry. He is from the same course as Air Marshal Shahid Lateef. He also carries good reputation as a professional; he was retained on the F-6 weapon system till 1984, after which he was converted on the F-16 in Pakistan. Due to his professionalism, he has commanded a squadron, a fighter wing and a fighter base. On promotion to the rank of Air Vice- Marshal, he took over as Air Officer Commanding Central Air Command.

Khalid Chaudhry served in the Air Headquarters as Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Logistics); subsequently, he took over as the Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations), where he worked for only four months before being moved out as Chairman PAC Kamra, a position that he has held for the last three years. He is a graduate of the Air war Course and Royal College of Defense Studies, UK. He has not attended the Armed Forces War Course or National Defense Course at the National Defense University. He is known to be a humble individual with religious bent. He is married and has a son and two daughters. The number three officer in line is Air Marshal Hifazatullah Khan. He joined the PAF in March 1972 and was commissioned in October, 1974. He graduated 18th out of a batch of 26. He remained on the F-6s till 1981 after which he converted on to the Mirages. He has commanded a Squadron and a fighter base. He did not command a fighter wing as he was abroad as the Air Attaché in Saudi Arabia. On promotion to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, he was appointed as DG NAB, NWFP.

Having stayed in that position for two years Hifazatullah Khan then took over as Air Officer Commanding, Northern Air Command. When he was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal by the incumbent CAS, he was placed as the Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Personnel), the only position he has held in the present rank for the last three years. He is a graduate of the Air War Course and French War Course. He is married and has four sons. Both, Air Marshals Khalid Chaudhry and Hifazatullah are two of very few officers who have risen to the rank of Air Marshal without having attended the Armed Forces War Course or National Defense Course at the National Defense University. here are two other Air Marshals. If the President decides to go down to number four or five, he would have by-passed 60% of the officers in the three-star category. Such a loss of seniority and experience would be detrimental to the Pakistan Air Force. After every few years, for one reason or the other, the strategic enticement of subcontinent shapes up that has now assumed ominous proportions. In the light of the latest development between India and Pakistan, while the speculations for surgical strikes are in the air, the Air Power is expected to play a leading role. The PAF therefore, needs a leader who has seen it all and has the acumen, experience and respect of its men. It is hoped that like in the recent case of the Pakistan Navy, the President would make the right choice based on merit and seniority as the security of the country depends on this very important and crucial decision.
Source

Who better than someone who is heading the JF-17 project

 

[mundaus]

Many people have confirmed that ACM Shahid Latif will be the next ACM. Here's a little background of him and the other contenders.

I totally agree. I know couple of ex PAF officers who claimed to be course mate of some of the current PAF high command and in their opinion Shahid Latif is the best choice. The 2nd choice would be Khalid Chaudhry.

 

[ibrahim khan]

one thing i suppose u all dont know is that there is one officer who is under consideration as our new chief n although this ACM planned to send him home..he is on LPR b coz this ACM didnt like him but look at luck his name is under consideration!His name was not sent by the current ACM but his name is being considerd which i suppose noone knows.There is a strong rumor that he might be the next chief coz his name was among the 3 short listed...!so lets not make predictions...May the best man win!

 

[imiakhtar]

Hopefully PAF leadership is also looking at the J-10 favourably ... There is nothing better than self reliance.

Relying on China is self-reliance? Interesting.

 

[blain2]

Relying on China is self-reliance? Interesting.

One step at a time my friend...you have to learn to walk before you run..so until and unless you can train 5000 Pakistanis in all facets of aeronautical development and have facilities built for them within the year, working with Chinese is as close to self-reliance as possible.

Chinese typically go much farther than most other suppliers. Whenever Pakistan has inducted a Chinese system, we have not needed to send the equipment back to China for upgrade/overhaul. This means that Chinese are very forthcoming in supporting building of indigenous engineering capability inside of Pakistan to support Chinese origin hardware. That feeds into the home grown development programs.