PAF, AAF drill explores Antarctic wilderness

[optimisticlad]

fantastic..........what is the wisdom behind operating a research programme on ice wih regard to PAF

 

[denel]

We're the only Muslim country with an Antarctic base, right?

No, very few countries have a permanent base; Pak is not one of them. It requires a lot of resources to keep it going.

http://www.sanap.ac.za/sanap_stations/sanap_stations.html

This is one base station operated by our govt; two friends did a 2 year rotation in SANAE base. It is supported via Marion Island and supplied via SA Agulhas II.

There is some information on what operating is like and what is required. I recall there is a neutron monitoring module from my last university out there. Another professor i assisted had ionospheric radar system there as well. Now there is satellite comms, we had packet via hf and cw/ssb before still present as a backup - ZS7 prefix is allocated to Antartica with ZS8 for Marion and Gough Isl.

 

[krash]

2 Norway.

That piece of land your station is on (Queen Maud's Land) belongs to us.

Leave it to Norwegians to claim the one place on Earth that's colder then actual Norway.

Is claimed by Norway*

No, very few countries have a permanent base; Pak is not one of them. It requires a lot of resources to keep it going.

By permanent I believe you mean manned year round? Because JAS is a permanent base but manned seasonally. In 2010 the government did approve the expansion of JAS into a year round lead operational base. Don't know how far along has the work gotten till now.

 

[maximuswarrior]

Wow. I didn't know that either. Amazing.

 

[Samee Ulhaq]

We're the only Muslim country with an Antarctic base, right?

>> We do not have base any base outside Pakistan.

 

[denel]

Is claimed by Norway*



By permanent I believe you mean manned year round? Because JAS is a permanent base but manned seasonally. In 2010 the government did approve the expansion of JAS into a year round lead operational base. Don't know how far along has the work gotten till now.

Yes - manned year around. Have a look at the link i had provided. This is the second station as first one got buried. It is just brutal living there. one friend who did a rotation was fed up and went out for a walk in -35c and he was back in no time as darkness is virtual 0 visibility.

 

[deckingraj]

An interesting fact is that it was started by your current PM in 91...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Antarctic_Programme

 

[krash]

Have a look at the link i had provided. This is the second station as first one got buried.

I did, it's very cool. Do you have any info on the average and lowest year round temps for the bases? I downloaded the php weather file but can't run it. Wiki doesn't give anything either.

It is just brutal living there. one friend who did a rotation was fed up and went out for a walk in -35c and he was back in no time as darkness is virtual 0 visibility.

I understand their plight, at least somewhat. Here the temp has already dropped below -30C twice this year and tomorrow morning is again expected to be -31C. The year before last year we had below -40C for about a week.There have been winter days here when it was colder than at the Arctic, the city's record is -50C. But of course we can't in no way compare living here to there. I'm pretty sure the temps fall way below -35C regularly at those bases plus living down in the Antarctic comes with a lot more than just the temps. Cant question the brutality of it; spending 15 months straight with 10 months in complete isolation and 6 months without the Sun. Nothing but respect for those guys.

 

[Ultima Thule]

>> We do not have base any base outside Pakistan.

So what is this? it is not a military base but a scientific and research Base
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinnah_Antarctic_Station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Antarctic_Programme

 

[fjavaid]

Pakistan Antarctic Programme
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Pakistan Antarctic Programme (PAP) is a scientific administrative division of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) which represents the Government of Pakistan on the continent of Antarctica. The program coordinates scientific research and operational support in the region. The program is funded by the Pakistan Science Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Technology.[1]

Currently, the PAP maintains and controls two polar stations in the region: the Jinnah Antarctic Station (JNS), and the Polar Research Cell (PRC), which was established by the National Institute of Oceanography to co-ordinate all Antarctic related activities.[2]

The Antarctic Programme was launched by the National Institute of Oceanography, with the full support of Pakistan Navy's Naval Weapons Engineering Division (NWED). In 1991, Prime minister Nawaz Sharif established the programme under the direction of the Navy. On 15 June 1992, Pakistan became an Associate Member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, but did not accede to the Antarctic Treaty due to economic reasons.[3]

In January 1991, Pakistan dispatched its first expedition to Greater Antarctica under the auspices of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).[4] As the programme was led by the Navy, the PN dispatched a small group of Pakistan Marines, along with the team of scientists on board the destroyer PNS Tariq and the research vessel PNS Behr Paima. Facilities were quickly established in the region, and Jinnah Antarctic Station (JNS) was commissioned. The station houses an unmanned automatic Weather Station, from which data are transmitted to Pakistan via Argos Satellite System.[5] In 2001, the Badr-B was connected to the Weather Station after it was launched by SUPARCO. In 2006, Pakistan established the National Institute of Oceanography's Polar Research Cell (PRC).

A number of national organisations are involved in Antarctic activities and are active participants in the Pakistan Antarctic Programme.[6]

Both stations' data are transmitted to Pakistan via the Badr-B Satellite. However, the new Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite System was launched in late 2011 to replace the Badr satellite system program.

Wow ...i had no idea abt tht one.... Do we hv any ice breaker to. Compliment PN ships....

 

[denel]

I did, it's very cool. Do you have any info on the average and lowest year round temps for the bases? I downloaded the php weather file but can't run it. Wiki doesn't give anything either.



I understand their plight, at least somewhat. Here the temp has already dropped below -30C twice this year and tomorrow morning is again expected to be -31C. The year before last year we had below -40C for about a week.There have been winter days here when it was colder than at the Arctic, the city's record is -50C. But of course we can't in no way compare living here to there. I'm pretty sure the temps fall way below -35C regularly at those bases plus living down in the Antarctic comes with a lot more than just the temps. Cant question the brutality of it; spending 15 months straight with 10 months in complete isolation and 6 months without the Sun. Nothing but respect for those guys.

he was saying -35 is warm, -60 it can get down to; my good friend who studied with me was down there to test robots for mars pathfinder mission said it is insane - he was my class mate and went on to lead the mission. My first collegue who was a geologist; our govt dept pays your 2 yr salary in advance of your mission - on the way back they went by the island of Tristan D'cuna - he was glad to see people after that ordeal.
We used to test our manpacks there as well.

 

[Fabricio Tavares]

.......

But it's right, only recently Turkey joined this club:

Actually, Turkey did not join the club yet, but they do have plans to establish their own antarctic station.

 

[ghazi52]

Symbols of Global Camaraderie

Antarctica's research station infrastructure has played a greater role in research and peace in most countries. The Antarctic Treaty has made it possible for nations to coexist peacefully and utilize the available space in and around the South Pole without infringing upon each other’s rights.

30 Countries With Antarctic Research Stations

Country Year Establishing Oldest Antarctic Research Station

Argentina.................... 1904
Australia....................... 1954
Belgium....................... 2007
Brazil.......................... 1984
Bulgaria....................... 1988
Chile........................... 1947
China.......................... 1985
Czech Republic............. 2006
Ecuador...................... 1990
Finland....................... 1989
France........................ 1956
Germany..................... 1948
India.......................... 1983
Italy........................... 1986
Japan......................... 1957
New Zealand............... 1957
Norway....................... 1990
Pakistan......................1991
Peru........................... 1989
Poland........................ 1977
Romania..................... 1986
Russia........................ 1956
South Africa................ 1962
South Korea................ 1988
Spain..........................1988
Sweden...................... 1988
Ukraine...................... 1994
United Kingdom........... 1947
United States.............. 1956
Uruguay..................... 1984

 

[Incog_nito]

Pak Army, Air Force, and Pak Navy should design a plan along with Pakistani Scientist and Engineers for Artic and maintain a permanent base out there.

I would assume a similar program for Turkey but not jointly.

 

[ghazi52]

Facilities

The facilities were quickly expanded by the NIO. Government advisors belonging to the Ministry of Science and Technology frequently visited the area. Pakistani naval engineers and scientists oversaw the development of the base. By 1994 it was a comfortable, technologically advanced operational base.

In 2001, the data operational system was linked to the Badr-B satellite, beginning regular transmission of digital imagery of the region to NIO headquarters in Karachi. In 2002, SUPARCO scientists visited the base, where they set up and installed an advanced, supercomputer-equipped facility, run by the NIO and SUPARCO's scientists.

In 2005, Pakistan Air Force engineers and scientists built a small airstrip, and a control room to monitor flights to and from Pakistan. In 2010, Pakistan's government approved a plan to expand the JAS facility into a permanent operational base.