Terror In The Tribal Zone.
Alan Warnes reports.
As US bombers struck al Qaeda and Taliban targets in October 2001, many of its fighters fled east towards the Federal Administered Tribal Area (FATA), which stretches along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
As the Pakistan Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed told the author in early 2007, 'it was like rats running through the drains', However within ten days of the United Nations Resolution 1386 being passed on December 30, 2001, the Pakistan Army began airlifting troops into the snow clad border regions around Nangharkar and Paktika.
Al Oaeda, Taliban and the US:
Increased tension with India, which nearly led to war at that time meant the Pakistan Army was focusing much of its efforts on the eastern borders. It meant many of the fighters were left free to roam deeper into the FATA and beyond. The situation was exacerbated by some in the Army finding it difficult to act against former allies from the 1980s, when the Army struck a close alliance with the Mujahedeen as they fought the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The al Qaeda and Taliban militias put up camps in the FATA and Swat Valley, alongside their allies already living in the autonomous swathe of land on Pakistan's western fringes. There were many sympathetic to the Taliban's cause along with pockets of support in other areas inside Pakistan, due largely to their ignorance or poor education.
Many in Pakistan had a deep mistrust of the Americans. They could not forgive them for what had happened in the wake of the Soviets withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989. The US simply dropped all interest or responsibility for supplying arms to militias fighting the Soviets and walked away. This left the Pakistani-backed Taliban to get stronger and go head to head with the Northern Alliance, backed by Iran and India. Add the stream of US military sanctions on Pakistan (and India) because of their nuclear weapons testing and the wars of 1965 and '71 and one begins to understand the anti-US feeling.
However, with the US needing President Musharraf's government in its Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), things had to change. Military aid was one area the US Government promised to assist, if their wish for Pakistan to start hunting down the terrorists along its western border would be granted. Some military aid filtered through to the Pakistan Army Aviation (PAA), with 26 brand new Bell 412EPs being delivered from 2004, initially on lease although eventually the 25 survivors were officially handed over by the US Ambassador to Islamabad on October 22,2007.
All have been split between 4 Sqn at Quetta and 25 Sqn at Qasim acting as air assault squadrons. Their twin-engine capabilities have allowed them to be used as a fast scout/escort aircraft, flying with AH-1Fs, and this has reduced the need for the Bell 206 Jet Rangers that used to fill this role. The US also provided 12 former US Army AH-1Fs, now serving the PAA's Combat Group.
Operation AI Mesin:
Once the tense situation with India started to ease in 2002, Army troops moved into the FATA region, where federal control of the Government is indirectly exercised by the President/Governor through a special system comprising tribal elders (Maliks) and Local Administration (a legacy of former British rule). There was resentment about what was perceived as the government interference in its business, and the locals grew suspicious. Nevertheless Operation AI Mesin got the Pakistan Army's push underway but Pakistan Army Aviation would have to provide a heli-lift capability to transport supplies, logistics and troops to the front line as well as AH-1 Cobra firepower to provide close air support. It has not been easy for the Pakistan Army; there have been around 2,450 soldiers killed, a figure considerably higher than the losses suffered by the US and its allies in Afghanistan of 1,597 (see
iCasualties: Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Casualties) and around 3,400 seriously injured since 2001. Some 60% of these casualties have come in the past two years, when the Army took the battle to the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters. Unlike the war being fought in Afghanistan, the Pakistan Army restricts all journalists and photographers travelling into the FATA and Swat regions, but fighting is believed to be ferocious at times.
There have been many major operations against the Taliban in recent years that will be etched in PAA folklore because of the action that took place. They include: Operation Strike Eagle (January 2008), Rah-e-Haq (Swat - early 2008), Rah-e-Rast (Swat July-Sept 09) and Rah-e-Nijat (South Waziristan Oct - end of Nov 2009). All of them saw a lot of fighting and helicopter support from the PAA.
Leading the Pakistan Army Aviation since September 2008, as its General Officer Commanding (GOC), is Major General Tanveer Ullah Khan, a seasoned pilot with immense flying experience in conflict zones. As 5 Sqn Commander, he was based at Skardu in the Siachin Glacier conflict zone and has also commanded the elite 101 Army Aviation Group (AAG) supporting the GWOT on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He told me of the war along the western borders:
"The Waziristan area is a huge wilderness stretching some 500 miles (800km) by 110 miles (180km) where temperatures can range from 40' C to -10'C. It is a terrain with little roads and certainly not a lot of communication, where the enemy know the areas much better than we do.
All this has meant the Army relies on the Aviation Branch to give it the edge.
'We have three main roles: Combat is provided by the Combat Group used in close support with the ground troops. As we don't have sufficient assets, and the Cobra gunships can't be everywhere, we have indigenously armed our Bell 412s with a basic gun, to support troops on the ground. Our US friends are now fitting custom made guns to provide us with a dedicated armed helicopter.
"The other two roles are logistics and supply. Some army posts are around 11,000ft [3,353m] high and we can't get vehicles to them easily so helicopters are the only way to get supplies up there.
"We are manning the Afghan border on our side and the International Security Assistance Force is doing the same on their side in an attempt to stop fighters moving across Afghanistan to Pakistan and vice versa. As these areas have no roads, our fleet of cargo carrying Mi-17s has been called in to do the job, essentially to provide supplies, fuel, ammunition, casualty evacuation and medical evacuation."
Forward Operating Bases:
Since the main operating bases at the old garrison towns at Rawalpindi and Multan are hundreds of miles from the fighting, it has been necessary to organize four Forward Operating Bases (FOBs).
These FOBs have been set up closer to the fighting, where logistical supplies can be dropped off. A Tactical Headquarters has also been formed on the front line. The PAA maintains a close liaison with the FOBs and ground formations so that all operations are fully integrated with the helicopter support wherever required.
The four main FOBs are Peshawar, Miran Shah, Wana and Dera Ismail Khan. During mid-November there were 10 Bell 412s, 14 AH-1 F Cobras, 5 Mi-17 Hips, 5 Huey IIs (Department of Interior), one Alouette III, one AS350B3 Ecureil and a MFI17 Mushshak operating from these facilities. Some FOBs are busier than others - for example, when clashes were occurring in southern Waziristan, DI Khan was housing four Bell 412s, six AH-lFs, two Huey IIs and an Alouette III.
However, during my stay in Pakistan, the fight was constantly moving, so DI Khan would see these helicopter assets deploy to another FOB, possibly Wana, as the enemy headed west. If helicopters need more fuel while supporting troops away from the FOBs, there are four Forward Area and Arming Re-fuelling Points (FAARPs) to accommodate them.
More than 60 helicopters have been hit by enemy fire, seven of them lost, including a Mi-17 on October 24, 2009, when it crashed in the Nawagai area of the semi-autonomous Bajaur tribal region, killing six on board and injuring several others. The helicopter has now been recovered.
According to the GOC: "The enemy is armed with 14.5mm ack-acks, 12.7mm machine guns, and the helicopters do not have specialist self-protection systems, so all the pilots are trained in electronic warfare tactics. As a precaution we always fly in pairs because if a helicopter is shot down, its partner can land and pick the aircrew up, as has happened in the past."
Most of the personnel work on 20-day rotations to the war zone, moving forward whenever required and then returning to their main operating base afterwards.
The PAA is organized into Army Aviation Groups (AAGs) that are based at Qasim, Quetta, Rahwali and Multan. All of them have different responsibilities, although the 303 AAG at Rahwali is responsible for flying training and does not dovetail into a Battle Group, like the other three AAGs at Qasim (101), Quetta (202) and Multan (404/Combat Group).
Qasim:
This, the largest and oldest of all Army Aviation bases, is situated in the garrison town of Rawalpindi and houses the 101 AAG. It is responsible for providing trained personnel, both aircrews and ground personnel as well as helicopters to the front line to serve with the Combat Group. Since being designated the 101 AAG in 2002, the 101 AAG has had eight main tasks:
Provide aerial cover to advancing troops
Destroy targets
Provide combat support to troops.
Casualty evacuation (CASEVAC)
Logistical support at helipads and a secondary role of transporting ground troops.
Provide real time info through aerial platforms i.e. helicopters and Cessna Caravans.
Heli-borne Ops on order.
Helicopter transportation of troops on order.
To fulfill its objectives, 101 AAG can call upon three of the five aviation squadrons based at Qasim to bring their specialized skills to the fight- firepower, logistics and supplies. The other two squadrons provide the Army with the support it needs but in other areas.
No 8 Sqn 'Chumik Warriors' is hailed as the most decorated unit in Pakistan Army Aviation, although the Cobra squadrons are getting pretty close to them thanks to the past eight years of combat ops. All of 8 Sqn's medals have been awarded while flying the SA 315 lama from its forward operating base at Skardu in the Himalayas. It is from here, one of the highest aviation bases found anywhere, that they fly regular missions around some of the highest peaks in the world, supporting Army operations in the disputed Kashmir. High altitude operations are dangerous, but the 'Chumik Warriors' often fly missions at 20,000ft (6,000m) to get to Army positions.
Even though Waziristan operations are taking up much of the PAA's commitments these days, the tension and problems that regularly affect Kashmir do not go away. While Army troops are fighting the Taliban in the west of Pakistan, colleagues continue facing the Indian Army, in the Himalayas. The SA 315 Lama is synonymous with helicopter flying on top of the world because of its light airframe, a strength picked up by the Indian Army, which still operates the 60s vintage stalwart in the northern reaches.
The responsibility of maintaining these ageing helicopters is left to 299 EME 'Striving for Perfection' at Qasim. No 8 Sqn has now given up the lama for another French helicopter, the Euro copter AS350B3 Ecureuil. It might not have the emotional pull of the Lama, but it is a competent replacement. Nevertheless a handful of lamas continue to soldier on with four other squadrons, maintained by the Qasim based 299 EME (Electrical and Maintenance Engineers) motto: 'Striving for Perfection'.
The ten AS350B3 Ecureuils, are split between 8 Sqn, 5 Sqn at Skardu and Qasim based 13 Sqn. A deal was also signed for ten Euro copter AS 550B3 Fennecs, and although the helicopters were seen being test flown at Marseille in early 2009, the PAA has declined to take delivery of them.
No 13 Sqn has the most diverse inventory of any army aviation squadron, its assets include SA330J Pumas, Mi17V5 Hips, Harbin Y12s, AS350B3s, Beech 200/350s and Citation Vs. This comes as a consequence of being a WIP/VIP squadron responsible for flying high ranking army officers and politicians including the Prime Minister as well as the President.-The most recent purchase was three Kazan Mi17V5s in early 2009.
A new unit, 25 Sqn has stood up at Qasim within the past three years and is very busy flying the Bell 412EPs, which act as scout/escort aircraft to the Cobras. Some have also been equipped with guns.
Like the UK's helicopter debate, the war with al Qaeda and the Taliban highlighted the lack of heli-lift capability. However, Pakistan did something about it and over the past seven years has added around 40 Mi-17/Mi8MTV Hips from Kazan Helicopters and Ulan Ude Aviation Plant, to the inventory. Six Mi8MTV-1 s delivered in late June 2009 have been leased from the US Department of Defense on a rolling year contract.
No 27 Sqn at Qasim is the main operator of the Mi17, although there are also Hip units based at Quetta (4 Sqn), Skardu (5 Sqn) and Tarbela (home to the PAAs Special Forces Unit - 21 Sqn). The Hip is a robust and relatively cheap medium lift Russian helicopter that can carry large numbers of troops into the barren and rocky regions of Waziristan. There is no doubt that without the Hip, the war in the west would be progressing a lot more slowly.
The helicopters are regularly air-freighted to LOM Prague, Czech Republic and Helisota in Lithuania for major overhauls as they are being worked tirelessly.
Unfortunately there have been several Hip crashes over the past few years, which is not surprising given the harsh conditions in which they work, on the snowcapped Himalayas or the extreme heat of Waziristan, The most devastating accident occurred on July 3, 2009 when a Mi-17 crashed in northwestern Pakistan, allegedly due to a technical fault, coming down on the mountainous border of the semi-autonomous Orakzai and Khyber tribal regions, killing all 26 personnel on board. The crash occurred around 12 miles (20kms) from Peshawar and despite claims by the Taliban that they shot it down, Pakistani officials deny this, saying the pilot had requested an emergency landing due to a mechanical problem.
Mi17, flew nearly 120,0001b (54,432kg) of cargo and 3,203 troops during October 2009. While 222 soldiers were flown back by CASEVAC helicopters to hospitals and sadly, some 58 troops killed in action.
In a further boost to heli-lift capability, the UAEAF has provided some of their surplus SA330 Pumas as the 1970s Vintage SA330J Pumas are now getting a little long in the tooth. As a result, 28 Sqn has stood up at Qasim although most of its 'new' Pumas were going through an inspection during the authors visit.
There are also at least three maintenance depots (299, 399 and 503 EME) at Qasim, overhauling and repairing aircraft that are then returned to their respective units.
Multan - Home of the Firepower:
Located around 600 miles (1,000km) north of Karachi in the center of Pakistan is Multan, known as the 'City of Saints'. It is also home to a major PAA base, which shares its runway with the domestic airport, where the 404 AAG commonly known as the Combat Group reside. The Combat Group was formed 25 years ago in 1984 and has been in the field since 2002.
While the base is situated a long way from the action, it hasn't always been that way. It was built when Pakistan lived in domestic bliss and the real threat of war came from its eastern neighbor, India. Multan is actually closer to Delhi than Karachi or Islamabad.
Consequently three squadrons of AH1F Cobras now operate from Multan, forming one of the first lines of defense along the eastern borders.
Today, however the Combat Group's firepower is concentrated on the western borders, in Waziristan. All the squadrons take turns in deploying to a Forward Operating Base, usually 20 days at a time and everybody plays an important role ensuring that the deployments go to plan.
AH-1S Cobras joined the PAA in 1984 with a first unit, 31 'Panzer' Sqn standing up on March 12, 1985. It was numbered 31, as the Indian Army's 31 Armoured Division is based on the other side of the border and if India and Pakistan were ever to go to war again it is likely they would be fighting each other. The name 'Panzer' was inspired by the unstoppable Panzer Divisions of World War II.
Some 20 AH-1S Cobras were delivered in total, divided between 31 and 33 'Air Wolves' Sqn. In November 2006, the surviving AH-1S Cobras, by now upgraded to AH-1Fs, were joined by eight ex-US Army examples while a further batch of four arrived in mid-2007. According to one source however, 'the Cobras looked great externally, but when you started looking behind the panels there was a lot of snags - they were not in good shape'.
The delivery of these additional 12 helicopters allowed the three Cobra squadrons to increase their helicopter strengths. When the 3S Sqn 'Mustangs' stood up on August 15, 2005, it meant each unit was only flying around six gunships in addition to the six or so Bell 206 Jet Rangers scout helicopters.
Of the original batch of Cobras supplied in the mid-80s most of them have been upgraded with C-NlTE (Cobra - Night Imaging Thermal Equipment). With the integration of a FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) receiver and an infrared Telescopic Sight Unit the Cobra is able to accurately direct its TOW missiles, cannon and rocket fire through darkness and poor visibility.
However, the more recent AH-1 F deliveries did not arrive with C-NITE and so are generally limited to day operations. All the pilots are currently going through Night Vision Goggle training to enable them to fight in the dark. During October the Cobras were unleashing their TOWs, cannon and rockets at the terrorists from all four of the FOBs as the Pakistan Army ground troops advanced on Taliban positions. Some 241 targets were engaged, around eight a day on terrorist positions - huts, bunkers, anti-aircraft guns, ammunition dumps and even a communications tower.
Not surprisingly, the maintenance people have also become quite skilled at battle damage repairs: during the same month five AH-1Fs were hit by enemy fire, with the action taking place around the Wana and DI Khan regions.
It isn't just Cobras though that fly from Multan, two other squadrons are in residence, 3 Sqn with Lamas and MFI-17 Mushshaks as well as 25 Sqn 'Desert Hawks' with SA330Js and UH-1Hs. They are not part of the Air Aviation Brigade, and thus operate autonomously, like so many other Army Aviation squadrons operating all over Pakistan.
What Next?:
With the fighting in the west showing no signs of going away, the PAA is looking to expand its inventory even further. There are around 25 more Mi-17s on order, while another 30 Bell 412EPs are expected to arrive in mid-2010 (delayed) to replace the Bell 206s. According to the GOC they will arrive with proper mounted machine guns.
The GOC acknowledges that what he needs now more than anything else is new attack helicopters. The Cobras are from a bygone era with dated technologies and now they need something more sophisticated.
In 2008 the PAA visited Spain to have a look at the Euro copter Tigre, and while the US will not export AH-64 Apaches equipped with the capable Hellfire missile it seems they are on the verge of offering the latest Cobra derivative - the AH-1 Z.(CSF Funds allocated in 2012).
Defeating the Taliban and al Qaeda in the FATA region was never going to be easy, but if the Americans really want Pakistan to oust what is the number one threat to world peace then it has to seriously look at providing the Pakistan Army Aviation with the right tools to do the right job quickly.
GOC - Siachen Glacier Ops:
A 5 'Fearless Five' Sqn AS350B3 carries an under hung load high up In the Himalayas. The unit is based at Skardu and was raised by the current GOC - Major General Tanveer Ullah Khan in luly-1999.
The PAA GOC, Major General Tanveer Ullah Khan has been based on the Siachen Glacier: "There is no chance of survival if you have an accident because you won't last longer than 30 minutes in the extreme altitude and temperatures. So we fly in pairs, so that the other helicopter can pick the other crew if one goes down,"
He raised the 5 'Karakoram' Sqn known as the 'Fearless Five' at Skardu on July 5, 1999, during the Kargil Crisis. Today it operates Mi-17s and Ecureuils. They specialize in high altitude rescues as a mountain squadron and are manned by aircrews which special in flying at such great heights of 18-20,000ft (5,486-6,096m). Personnel spend around two years acclimatizing to the temperature, which can drop to -38, while serving the International Hiking Expedition Camp (IHEC).
The unit at Skardu started with SA 315 Lamas in early 80s before being replaced by Alouette IIIs as part of an 8 Sqn detachment.
"If we fly for more than 30 minutes above the mountains we need oxygen. We can get the bends when we descend and lose full senses of our feelings! It's a whole different way of flying, while serving the Force Command Northern Area (FCNA) based at Gilgit," says the GOC.
Personnel stay for 26 months unaccompanied at Skardu - two months and ten days on and then 20 days off, then they return for same period and come home for 20 days and so it continues until the 26 months is up. It is tough living in an igloo. Kerosene heaters mean the place is full of pungent fumes and soot gets everywhere. You can become ill very quickly unless you are used to of it. Within a week your nice new white military issue coat will be black!
Saving Tomaz Humar:
No 8 Sqn at Qaslm has won more battle honors than any other PAA squadron. Two of its pilots were awarded the Golden Order for Services by the Slovenia Government for the rescue of the climber, Tomoz Humor.
On August 10, 2005 two pilots from No 8 5qn were involved in an amazing rescue of a Slovenian climber, Tomaz Humar (34), who was trapped on a snow-capped mountain at 22,000ft (6,706m). Humar was running out of water and rescue by foot was impossible. A few initial attempts by Army helicopters were thwarted by the extreme weather.
With the world watching, General Musharraf ordered the Army Aviation to make another determined effort. At 0620, on August 10, a SA315B lama piloted by Lt. Col (now Colonel) Rashid ullah Beg with Major (now Lt. Col) Khalid Amir Rana spotted Humar stranded on a dangerous ledge trapped in an ice cave. The mission came with many practical hazards: no foothold for a single skid of a helicopter, a sheer drop on one side and deep ravines on another. There was also a huge rock 50-100ft (24-30m) above the stricken climber, which meant there was little clearance from the mountain wall.
Without any autopilot or stability augmentation system, it would be difficult to hover the lama at such high altitude.
Hovering above Humar for about ten minutes at an altitude of 22,000ft (6,706m), they managed to drop a sling hook down. Then the low-level fuel warning light flickered there was now no margin for error. Finally, the lama pilots managed to connect the sling hook with the snow axe of the desperate Humar.
After being hauled into the helicopter, by the dangling sling rope, Humar was flown to base camp to the relief of all in Pakistan, Slovenia and the mountaineering world.
in recognition of this extraordinary display of courage and professionalism both pilots were awarded the Tamgha-Shujaat on March 23, 2006. The President of Slovenia awarded Colonel Rashid ullah Beg and Lt. Col Khalid Amlr Rana 'The Golden Order for Services' for the act of supreme bravery in rescuing Tomasz Humar from the rock wall of Nanga Parbat.
Sadly, the Slovenian climber's luck didn't hold out because on November 14, 2009 he was found dead in the Himalayas after injuring himself and becoming stranded on a 23,710ft (7,227m) mountain. He had contacted base camp five days previously after breaking his leg In a fall, but despite searches by air and on foot from Katmandu, he died in Nepal while attempting a solo climb.
Terrorist Attacks on UK Being Planned in FATA:
The UK's JTAC (Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre) raised the threat warning in the UK from 'substantial' to 'severe' on January 22. Two days later British Foreign Secretary David Milliband stated that Osama bin Laden is likely to be residing in the FATA region and that 60-70% of the terrorist attacks being planned against the UK are originating from there. Hence the Pakistan Army is in a race against time to track down al Qaeda's leader before he carries out any more atrocities.
GOC - Major General Tanveer Ullah Khan:
The General Officer Commanding of Pakistan Army Aviation, Major General Tanveer Ullah Khan.
Major General Tanveer Ullah Khan was commissioned in the 44 (SP) Regiment Artillery in October 1976 and Joined Army Aviation in March 1981. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor on both Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing with more than 3,000 hours of flying experience. A graduate of Command and Staff College and National Defense University, he has held various Command and Staff appointments at Formation Headquarters and General Headquarters. His war zone and operational area stints include leading aviation operations as a unit commander In the Siachin conflict zone during the 1999 Kargil Crisis. As an Aviation Group Commander he commanded the 101 Army Aviation Group deployed to support the GWOT effort along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He has masterminded many successful, incisive aviation operations against Taliban and al Qaeda networks in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, as well as organizing and conducting one of the largest aviation relief operations during the earthquake in October 2005.
As General Officer Commanding of Pakistan Army Aviation he has been instrumental in conceiving and leading the massive heli-borne operations against Taliban strongholds in the recently conducted Swat operations. This led to the routing of the Taliban in the Malakand Division of Pakistan.
His decorations include the Tamgha-Imtiaz, Sitara-Imtiaz and Imtiazi- Sanad on account of gallantry and meriteous military service. He is married and has two sons.
Attacking the Taliban at Banda:
Major Imaad Siddique of 35 Sqn 'The Mustangs' was sitting In the crew room on alert, talking with another Cobra pilot. at Miran Shah in the FATA, on July 30, 2007. Suddenly they heard an exchange of gunfire.
Within seconds we received the call that the nearby Army Post at Banda was under attack from the Taliban so we raced to our Cobras, with two Weapons Systems Operators who had been in the Alert Room as well.
Within 11 minutes both gunships were overhead the Post. Nearby we could see five vehicles and around 30Taliban that were advancing on the Army. Immediately I destroyed three vehicles with three TOW missiles and fired my cannon continuously at the militia in a bid to stem the attack.
Once both Cobras had exhausted their ammunition we turned back to our FOB [Forward Operating Base] to re-arm. When we touched down other Cobra pilots were still starting their helicopters, so once we had replenished our ammunition stocks we all flew back together. Upon our return we destroyed the other two vehicles and searched for the Taliban, which by now were running away.
"The whole operation took less than 30 minutes after getting the call for support. The Group Officer Commanding [GOC) of the Division thanked us for getting to the Post so quickly and the Post Commander came to visit us at Miran Shah the next day to thank us personally. For me it was definitely one of the most memorable sorties I have been involved in.''
AFM
old article but it has some interesting details!
