Pakistan Army | News and Discussions
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fatman17
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Press Release
Rawalpindi - December 12 2015
DG ISPR Tweets
Update Operation Zarbe-e-Azb: One and half year after start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, phenomenal successes achieved. Last pockets close to Pak – Afghan Border being cleared.
Terrorist's backbone broken. Main infrastructure dismantled. Nexus with sleeper cells largely disrupted. Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) continue to burst remaining sleeper cells.
3400 terrorists killed, 837 hideouts from where they were carrying out their terrorists activities destroyed.
During last 18 month over 13200 IBOs carried out across the country in which 183 hardcore terrorists killed, 21,193 arrested. IBOs continue.
Success came at a heavy price, 488 valiant officers and men of Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps KPK, Baluchistan, Rangers Sind sacrificed their lives and 1914 injured in Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Total 11 military courts. 142 cases referred to military courts. 55 cases decided, 87 cases in process. 31 hardcore terrorists convicted.
Support of entire nation for its valiant armed forces and resolve expressed vs terrorism post 16 December Army Public School, Peshawar attack been bed rock of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Overall improvement in security / law and order owed to Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Festivities, national events celebrated, stability being achieved.
A glimpse of some of Weapons, ammunition, explosive and communication equipment recovered during Operation Zarb-e-Azb is attached.
Rawalpindi - December 12 2015
DG ISPR Tweets
Update Operation Zarbe-e-Azb: One and half year after start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, phenomenal successes achieved. Last pockets close to Pak – Afghan Border being cleared.
Terrorist's backbone broken. Main infrastructure dismantled. Nexus with sleeper cells largely disrupted. Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) continue to burst remaining sleeper cells.
3400 terrorists killed, 837 hideouts from where they were carrying out their terrorists activities destroyed.
During last 18 month over 13200 IBOs carried out across the country in which 183 hardcore terrorists killed, 21,193 arrested. IBOs continue.
Success came at a heavy price, 488 valiant officers and men of Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps KPK, Baluchistan, Rangers Sind sacrificed their lives and 1914 injured in Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Total 11 military courts. 142 cases referred to military courts. 55 cases decided, 87 cases in process. 31 hardcore terrorists convicted.
Support of entire nation for its valiant armed forces and resolve expressed vs terrorism post 16 December Army Public School, Peshawar attack been bed rock of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Overall improvement in security / law and order owed to Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Festivities, national events celebrated, stability being achieved.
A glimpse of some of Weapons, ammunition, explosive and communication equipment recovered during Operation Zarb-e-Azb is attached.
ghazi52
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Press Release
No PR384/2015-ISPR Dated: December 15, 2015
Rawalpindi - December 15, 2015:
Corps Commanders Conference was held here today at GHQ. General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Army Staff presided over the meeting.
The forum was given comprehensive briefings on internal and external security situation of the country. Participants of the conference also took holistic view of the emerging geo strategic environment and its relevance to security of Pakistan.
While recounting successes of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, participants of the conference also expressed their solidarity with bereaved families and paid rich tributes to the sacrifices of APS Peshawar Shuhada who laid their lives in a tragic terrorist act on 16 December, 2014.
Remembering all Shuhada and wounded of terrorism for their great sacrifices for the motherland, COAS said “we will continue to pursue efforts to consolidate our gains to make them sustainable, which will be a befitting tribute to all the Shuhada and wounded”.
.
Press Release
No PR384/2015-ISPR Dated: December 15, 2015
Rawalpindi - December 15, 2015:
Corps Commanders Conference was held here today at GHQ. General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Army Staff presided over the meeting.
The forum was given comprehensive briefings on internal and external security situation of the country. Participants of the conference also took holistic view of the emerging geo strategic environment and its relevance to security of Pakistan.
While recounting successes of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, participants of the conference also expressed their solidarity with bereaved families and paid rich tributes to the sacrifices of APS Peshawar Shuhada who laid their lives in a tragic terrorist act on 16 December, 2014.
Remembering all Shuhada and wounded of terrorism for their great sacrifices for the motherland, COAS said “we will continue to pursue efforts to consolidate our gains to make them sustainable, which will be a befitting tribute to all the Shuhada and wounded”.
.
fatman17
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News / Asia
Pakistan's Waziristan Offensive Seen as Building Trust with Kabul
FILE - Pakistani army soldiers patrol in Miran Shah bazaar after driving out militants from the tribal region of North Waziristan along the Afghanistan border.
Ayaz Gul
December 15, 2015 8:04 AM
ISLAMABAD—
Ahead of a new round of Afghan peace talks, Pakistan is reporting progress in pacifying the Taliban strongholds that have been at the center of long-running tensions with Kabul.
Pakistan army spokesman, Lt. General Asim Bajwa, said that its Zarb-e-Azb anti-terrorism operation launched 18 months ago has helped secure the volatile semi-autonomous North Waziristan border region and eased concerns of neighboring Afghanistan.
Bajwa said that some 3,400 militants have killed in fighting, while the Pakistan army also has lost nearly 500 security personnel in the ongoing ground and air offensive.
Wazirstan district cleared
He told VOA that except for “a couple of pockets” the entire Waziristan district has been cleared of insurgents. He said the troops have only recently established control over the strategically located Shawal valley, protected by thick forests and treacherous mountains, where Afghan Taliban and other foreign militants have had their strongholds.
“We just completed clearing Shawal valley also. We are sitting on the mountaintops overlooking Shawal already. But there a couple of pockets just northwest of Shawal and we are right now busy there,” said Bajwa.
The army’s claims of progress are difficult to verify because journalists have long been barred from the area. But the North Waziristan tribal region for years has been considered a hub of Taliban insurgents and al Qaida linked militants who have been targeted by U.S. drone strikes.
Pakistan's army spokesman Major-General Asim Bajwa briefs the media about a Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, Dec. 16, 2014.
Infiltration into Afghanistan
Afghan authorities allege that a large number of local and foreign militants fleeing the Pakistani onslaught have crossed into Afghanistan and joined hands with the Taliban and other extremist groups to intensify insurgent violence on their side of the border.
Some skeptics say that the Pakistan military waited too long before launching the Waziristan offensive, allowing militants to flee their hideouts.
Speaking at a regional conference in Islamabad last week, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani described the infiltration into Afghanistan as an “unintended consequence” of the army operation.
Bajwa acknowledged there are some militants who fled across the Afghan frontier but he blames the porous border dividing Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“It is a very long border, around 2,600 kilometers and it is humanly impossible to block the entire border. I think there is a lot of deliberation which gone in and we have prepared a border management Standing Operating Procedures and we have shared the document with Afghanistan. I think once it comes into force there will be a lot of improvement on ground, and with better management, better coordination things will improve considerably,” stated Bajwa.
Pakistan's offensive
General Bajwa said Pakistan’s successes in the so-called Zarb-e-Azb offensive paved the ground for resuming bilateral contacts between Islamabad and Kabul.
When President Ghani visited Islamabad last week, he held extensive discussions with Pakistani, American and Chinese representatives on efforts to end violence and resume the stalled Afghan peace dialogue.
Senior Pakistani officials requesting anonymity told VOA discussions involving all stakeholders are currently underway to finalize a date and venue for the new round of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
They said Pakistani military Chief General Raheel Sharif is due to visit Kabul in the coming days to firm up those details. That trip, officials said, will also mark the formal resumption of military-to-military and intelligence contacts between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan's Waziristan Offensive Seen as Building Trust with Kabul
FILE - Pakistani army soldiers patrol in Miran Shah bazaar after driving out militants from the tribal region of North Waziristan along the Afghanistan border.
Ayaz Gul
December 15, 2015 8:04 AM
ISLAMABAD—
Ahead of a new round of Afghan peace talks, Pakistan is reporting progress in pacifying the Taliban strongholds that have been at the center of long-running tensions with Kabul.
Pakistan army spokesman, Lt. General Asim Bajwa, said that its Zarb-e-Azb anti-terrorism operation launched 18 months ago has helped secure the volatile semi-autonomous North Waziristan border region and eased concerns of neighboring Afghanistan.
Bajwa said that some 3,400 militants have killed in fighting, while the Pakistan army also has lost nearly 500 security personnel in the ongoing ground and air offensive.
Wazirstan district cleared
He told VOA that except for “a couple of pockets” the entire Waziristan district has been cleared of insurgents. He said the troops have only recently established control over the strategically located Shawal valley, protected by thick forests and treacherous mountains, where Afghan Taliban and other foreign militants have had their strongholds.
“We just completed clearing Shawal valley also. We are sitting on the mountaintops overlooking Shawal already. But there a couple of pockets just northwest of Shawal and we are right now busy there,” said Bajwa.
The army’s claims of progress are difficult to verify because journalists have long been barred from the area. But the North Waziristan tribal region for years has been considered a hub of Taliban insurgents and al Qaida linked militants who have been targeted by U.S. drone strikes.
Pakistan's army spokesman Major-General Asim Bajwa briefs the media about a Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, Dec. 16, 2014.
Infiltration into Afghanistan
Afghan authorities allege that a large number of local and foreign militants fleeing the Pakistani onslaught have crossed into Afghanistan and joined hands with the Taliban and other extremist groups to intensify insurgent violence on their side of the border.
Some skeptics say that the Pakistan military waited too long before launching the Waziristan offensive, allowing militants to flee their hideouts.
Speaking at a regional conference in Islamabad last week, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani described the infiltration into Afghanistan as an “unintended consequence” of the army operation.
Bajwa acknowledged there are some militants who fled across the Afghan frontier but he blames the porous border dividing Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“It is a very long border, around 2,600 kilometers and it is humanly impossible to block the entire border. I think there is a lot of deliberation which gone in and we have prepared a border management Standing Operating Procedures and we have shared the document with Afghanistan. I think once it comes into force there will be a lot of improvement on ground, and with better management, better coordination things will improve considerably,” stated Bajwa.
Pakistan's offensive
General Bajwa said Pakistan’s successes in the so-called Zarb-e-Azb offensive paved the ground for resuming bilateral contacts between Islamabad and Kabul.
When President Ghani visited Islamabad last week, he held extensive discussions with Pakistani, American and Chinese representatives on efforts to end violence and resume the stalled Afghan peace dialogue.
Senior Pakistani officials requesting anonymity told VOA discussions involving all stakeholders are currently underway to finalize a date and venue for the new round of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
They said Pakistani military Chief General Raheel Sharif is due to visit Kabul in the coming days to firm up those details. That trip, officials said, will also mark the formal resumption of military-to-military and intelligence contacts between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Inception-06
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Related to Pakistan in which point ?
TaimiKhan
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See the flag behind. Most probably Pak Army Air Defence team in some international event, russia is my guess.
Six Nations to Compete in 'Masters of Air Defense' Battle at Army Games
Inception-06
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fatman17
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Army chief General Raheel Sharif grows in power in Pakistan
Crackdown on militants has won support, but critics worry democracy may be undermined
by: Farhan Bokhari in Karachi
The face of General Raheel Sharif, Pakistan’s army chief, stares out from banners in the city of Karachi that proclaim him the country’s “saviour”.
The signs, strung from lampposts, hung across streets and paid for by local business groups, have proliferated in recent months as Gen Sharif’s prominence and authority in the country’s life have burgeoned.
Pakistan’s military has always been powerful, launching three coups in the country’s 68-year history, and is often spoken of as the real power in the land.
But over the course of 2015, Gen Sharif increasingly overshadowed the country’s civilian government, as the army cracked down on crime in Karachi and fought militants in the borderlands while he took an ever greater role in security policy.
“It is the army which is now mainly calling the shots,” says one western official.
There is little doubting the fervour of Gen Sharif’s admirers, rich and poor, in Karachi and beyond.
Nayab Khan, an ice cream seller, brandishes his new mobile phone as a sign of his increased confidence in the wake of the military crackdown that reduced violence in the city. Previously he confined himself to second-hand models and had two stolen from him at gunpoint.
“Karachi has become peaceful because of the good General Raheel Sharif,” Mr Khan says. “He is my hero.”
The 59-year-old Gen Sharif, who hails from a prominent military family, has also increased his activity on the international stage, meeting David Cameron, UK prime minister, in Downing Street last January and Joe Biden, US vide-president, at the White House in November.
I.A. Rehman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent watchdog, says: “In addition to taking an increasing role on internal affairs, the army is now also running important foreign relations with Washington, London and Beijing — it is very obvious.”
A principal reason why western leaders are willing to see the Pakistani army chief is because of his forces’ battle against Taliban militants in North Waziristan, a turbulent region on the Afghan border that long served as a stronghold for Islamist militants.
Gen Sharif’s supporters say he greatly intensified the push in 2015 after the Taliban slaughtered more than 140 people, most of them children, at a school used by army families in Peshawar. One retired general who was serving at the time describes themassacre as the “turning point” that transformed the army chief into a statesman, adding: “He stepped up and ordered his troops to show no mercy to the Taliban.”
Gen Sharif also flew to neighbouring Afghanistan the day after the killings to demand that Kabul crack down on Pakistani Taliban havens on Afghan soil. In a further sign of his increased international role, he turned down a request from Saudi Arabia for thousands of Pakistani troops to join Riyadh’s military campaign in Yemen, apparently out of fear such a move would overstretch the army and divide Pakistan.
“Across Pakistan there is a feeling that he has delivered on counter-terrorism and people are experiencing a drop in the level of violence,” says Hasan Askari Rizvi, a commentator on politics and military affairs. “Unlike the civilian government, which is seen to be not performing, the army is popularly seen to be making progress.”
But some analysts argue that behind the public adulation of Gen Sharif lurk the relentless promotion of his muscular approach to security, the persecution of critics and other authoritarian techniques.
“Democracy is functioning at the behest of the army,” says Mr Rehman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. “The reality is that the army is calling the shots everywhere.”
Senior army officers insist Gen Sharif will neither stage a coup nor extend his tenure when it ends a year from now. “General Sharif will play by the book and just by the book,” says one.
Such pronouncements have failed to reassure civilian politicians who were further unsettled by Gen Sharif’s call in November for “governance initiatives” to complement the military’s drive against militants and achieve “enduring peace across the country”.
A day after that declaration, an ally of Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani prime minister (who is not related to Gen Sharif), declared in parliament that the army chief’s remarks were against the “spirit of the constitution” and suggested they potentially undermined civilian rule.
Another ruling party member of parliament, who asked to remain anonymous, depicted Gen Sharif’s statement as a possible precursor to a coup, “a warning from the army that ‘if politicians do not take charge of matters, we will’ ”.
The military’s critics blame many of the country’s current problems on the army, notably those leaders who Islamised the country and sponsored — with US and Saudi help — the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan.
While Pervez Musharraf, the country’s most recent military ruler, left office seven years ago, the army’s powers remain formidable, as does its sway over government resources and the national agenda.
“More than one-fifth of our budget goes to defence,” says one minister, who also accused the military of instigating 2014 anti-government protests. “The army has tremendous capacity to influence events in Pakistan.”
Additional reporting by Victor Mallet in New Delhi
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016.
Crackdown on militants has won support, but critics worry democracy may be undermined
by: Farhan Bokhari in Karachi
The face of General Raheel Sharif, Pakistan’s army chief, stares out from banners in the city of Karachi that proclaim him the country’s “saviour”.
The signs, strung from lampposts, hung across streets and paid for by local business groups, have proliferated in recent months as Gen Sharif’s prominence and authority in the country’s life have burgeoned.
Pakistan’s military has always been powerful, launching three coups in the country’s 68-year history, and is often spoken of as the real power in the land.
But over the course of 2015, Gen Sharif increasingly overshadowed the country’s civilian government, as the army cracked down on crime in Karachi and fought militants in the borderlands while he took an ever greater role in security policy.
“It is the army which is now mainly calling the shots,” says one western official.
There is little doubting the fervour of Gen Sharif’s admirers, rich and poor, in Karachi and beyond.
Nayab Khan, an ice cream seller, brandishes his new mobile phone as a sign of his increased confidence in the wake of the military crackdown that reduced violence in the city. Previously he confined himself to second-hand models and had two stolen from him at gunpoint.
“Karachi has become peaceful because of the good General Raheel Sharif,” Mr Khan says. “He is my hero.”
The 59-year-old Gen Sharif, who hails from a prominent military family, has also increased his activity on the international stage, meeting David Cameron, UK prime minister, in Downing Street last January and Joe Biden, US vide-president, at the White House in November.
I.A. Rehman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent watchdog, says: “In addition to taking an increasing role on internal affairs, the army is now also running important foreign relations with Washington, London and Beijing — it is very obvious.”
A principal reason why western leaders are willing to see the Pakistani army chief is because of his forces’ battle against Taliban militants in North Waziristan, a turbulent region on the Afghan border that long served as a stronghold for Islamist militants.
Gen Sharif’s supporters say he greatly intensified the push in 2015 after the Taliban slaughtered more than 140 people, most of them children, at a school used by army families in Peshawar. One retired general who was serving at the time describes themassacre as the “turning point” that transformed the army chief into a statesman, adding: “He stepped up and ordered his troops to show no mercy to the Taliban.”
Gen Sharif also flew to neighbouring Afghanistan the day after the killings to demand that Kabul crack down on Pakistani Taliban havens on Afghan soil. In a further sign of his increased international role, he turned down a request from Saudi Arabia for thousands of Pakistani troops to join Riyadh’s military campaign in Yemen, apparently out of fear such a move would overstretch the army and divide Pakistan.
“Across Pakistan there is a feeling that he has delivered on counter-terrorism and people are experiencing a drop in the level of violence,” says Hasan Askari Rizvi, a commentator on politics and military affairs. “Unlike the civilian government, which is seen to be not performing, the army is popularly seen to be making progress.”
But some analysts argue that behind the public adulation of Gen Sharif lurk the relentless promotion of his muscular approach to security, the persecution of critics and other authoritarian techniques.
“Democracy is functioning at the behest of the army,” says Mr Rehman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. “The reality is that the army is calling the shots everywhere.”
Senior army officers insist Gen Sharif will neither stage a coup nor extend his tenure when it ends a year from now. “General Sharif will play by the book and just by the book,” says one.
Such pronouncements have failed to reassure civilian politicians who were further unsettled by Gen Sharif’s call in November for “governance initiatives” to complement the military’s drive against militants and achieve “enduring peace across the country”.
A day after that declaration, an ally of Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani prime minister (who is not related to Gen Sharif), declared in parliament that the army chief’s remarks were against the “spirit of the constitution” and suggested they potentially undermined civilian rule.
Another ruling party member of parliament, who asked to remain anonymous, depicted Gen Sharif’s statement as a possible precursor to a coup, “a warning from the army that ‘if politicians do not take charge of matters, we will’ ”.
The military’s critics blame many of the country’s current problems on the army, notably those leaders who Islamised the country and sponsored — with US and Saudi help — the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan.
While Pervez Musharraf, the country’s most recent military ruler, left office seven years ago, the army’s powers remain formidable, as does its sway over government resources and the national agenda.
“More than one-fifth of our budget goes to defence,” says one minister, who also accused the military of instigating 2014 anti-government protests. “The army has tremendous capacity to influence events in Pakistan.”
Additional reporting by Victor Mallet in New Delhi
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016.
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alimobin memon
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So whats news on type 99 are we really getting it ?
How many tanks does pakistan army now operate any better figures than wiki ?
How many tanks does pakistan army now operate any better figures than wiki ?
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Raheel Sharif declared best military commander by international news outlet
National News
An international news outlet has released its top 10 list of the best military commander generals in the world with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif topping the list.
ABC News Point says that it considered the army chiefs for their “decision making, commands, and way to tackle enemies, bravery, and a deep eye on the national and international concerns” in coming up with the list.
Army chiefs from Germany, the US, South Korea, Japan, Russia, India, Turkey, China and the UK also made the list.
Raheel Sharif beat US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey for the top slot.
China’s Fang Fenghui came in third with Russia’s Valery Gerasimov and Turkish Hulusi Akar taking the fourth and fifth positions. India’s Dalbir Singh was declared 8th in the list of best army generals in the world at present.
The report says that General Raheel Sharif was declared the best army general in the world “because of his wide approach to tackle enemies in and out of country”.
“His various operations to stabilise Pakistan and keep it clean from terrorism… are outstanding and admirable,” ABC News Point added.
The list concludes by calling him “one of the most respected and well reputed Chiefs till date”.
Pakistan Today
National News
An international news outlet has released its top 10 list of the best military commander generals in the world with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif topping the list.
ABC News Point says that it considered the army chiefs for their “decision making, commands, and way to tackle enemies, bravery, and a deep eye on the national and international concerns” in coming up with the list.
Army chiefs from Germany, the US, South Korea, Japan, Russia, India, Turkey, China and the UK also made the list.
Raheel Sharif beat US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey for the top slot.
China’s Fang Fenghui came in third with Russia’s Valery Gerasimov and Turkish Hulusi Akar taking the fourth and fifth positions. India’s Dalbir Singh was declared 8th in the list of best army generals in the world at present.
The report says that General Raheel Sharif was declared the best army general in the world “because of his wide approach to tackle enemies in and out of country”.
“His various operations to stabilise Pakistan and keep it clean from terrorism… are outstanding and admirable,” ABC News Point added.
The list concludes by calling him “one of the most respected and well reputed Chiefs till date”.
Pakistan Today
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MystryMan
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The report does not have any India related content then why this "Additional Reporting from New Delhi" needed.
fatman17
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Closer Pakistan-China military ties irk west
Armaments key to Islamabad’s growing entente with Beijing
by: Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad
When Pakistan’s military claimed its first attack in October using a home-built drone to hit a Taliban stronghold, western officials were quick to search for clues to a Chinese connection.
Experts say Pakistan’s “Burraq”, one of the first two indigenously built armed drones, bears a striking resemblance to China’s CH-3.
Officials lauded the drone that equipped Pakistan with a technology that has been denied them by the US in 15 years as a key Washington ally in the campaign against terror.
“The Americans have given us billions of dollars and military equipment like F-16s since the 9/11 attacks,” says one senior Pakistani foreign ministry official. “But whenever we asked for armed drones, we were refused and the Americans always told us that was sensitive technology.”
Though Pakistani officials deny suggestions of Chinese involvement in the country’s drone programme, western officials remain unconvinced as military links between Beijing and Islamabad tighten.
Earlier this year, China confirmed an agreement to sell eight submarines to Pakistan in Beijing’s largest ever single defence export order.
Rana Tanveer Hussain, Pakistan’s minister of defence production, has confirmed that half of the eight submarines will be built at the Karachi shipyard and engineering works, boosting Pakistan’s shipbuilding capacity.
“The two projects [building four submarines in China and four in Pakistan] will begin simultaneously,” he said, while commending China as an “all-weather friend”.
Analysts say Pakistan is seeking to make China its main supplier of military hardware, partly due to the looser financial terms offered by Beijing, replacing traditional suppliers from the west.
One indication of China’s emergence as a rising arms exporter was highlighted in a recent report by the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which concluded that China had increased its arms exports 143 per cent in the past five years, replacing Germany to become the world’s third-largest exporter after the US and Russia. China’s biggest customer during the period was Pakistan which, according to the SIPRI, bought 41 per cent of China’s exported arms.
“China’s capacity to indigenously produce military platforms has made significant gains over the past decade or so, and gone are the days when it simply used to copy Soviet or Russian designs, so countries buying Chinese equipment like Pakistan certainly stand to gain,” says Peter Felstead, editor of IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, the global defence publication.
“The gap between Chinese capabilities and those of the west have been narrowed, except in a few areas such as the production of aero-engines, for which Chinese-built platforms remain dependent on Russian imports.”
Mr Felstead’s reference to Russian components is most visible in the case of the JF-17 “Thunder” fighter jet, jointly manufactured by China and the Pakistan Air Force at its Pakistan Aeronautical Complex facility just north of Islamabad. A senior Pakistan defence ministry official confirmed that the JF-17, which will become the PAF’s main second-line fighter jet, will be “powered for the foreseeable future” with the Russian-built RD-93 engine, overlooking Beijing’s offer of a Chinese engine.
Pieter Wezeman of the SIPRI says Chinese military equipment is at a disadvantage for not having been used in conflict situations, unlike hardware from western suppliers which comes with a combat history. “The only place where Chinese equipment is known to have performed alongside equipment from other suppliers is Pakistan,” he notes.
In the case of Pakistan’s use of its first armed drone, Mr Wezeman says it is important to remember that it was used against Taliban targets in a remote region along the Afghan border, and it was not challenged by enemy aircraft. “One has to be careful before one sees this as a breakthrough,” he adds.
Still, western defence officials say Beijing’s strategy of offering significantly lower prices and a virtual absence of political strings gives China a rising presence in international markets.
The Financial Times Limited 2016.
Armaments key to Islamabad’s growing entente with Beijing
by: Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad
When Pakistan’s military claimed its first attack in October using a home-built drone to hit a Taliban stronghold, western officials were quick to search for clues to a Chinese connection.
Experts say Pakistan’s “Burraq”, one of the first two indigenously built armed drones, bears a striking resemblance to China’s CH-3.
Officials lauded the drone that equipped Pakistan with a technology that has been denied them by the US in 15 years as a key Washington ally in the campaign against terror.
“The Americans have given us billions of dollars and military equipment like F-16s since the 9/11 attacks,” says one senior Pakistani foreign ministry official. “But whenever we asked for armed drones, we were refused and the Americans always told us that was sensitive technology.”
Though Pakistani officials deny suggestions of Chinese involvement in the country’s drone programme, western officials remain unconvinced as military links between Beijing and Islamabad tighten.
Earlier this year, China confirmed an agreement to sell eight submarines to Pakistan in Beijing’s largest ever single defence export order.
Rana Tanveer Hussain, Pakistan’s minister of defence production, has confirmed that half of the eight submarines will be built at the Karachi shipyard and engineering works, boosting Pakistan’s shipbuilding capacity.
“The two projects [building four submarines in China and four in Pakistan] will begin simultaneously,” he said, while commending China as an “all-weather friend”.
Analysts say Pakistan is seeking to make China its main supplier of military hardware, partly due to the looser financial terms offered by Beijing, replacing traditional suppliers from the west.
One indication of China’s emergence as a rising arms exporter was highlighted in a recent report by the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which concluded that China had increased its arms exports 143 per cent in the past five years, replacing Germany to become the world’s third-largest exporter after the US and Russia. China’s biggest customer during the period was Pakistan which, according to the SIPRI, bought 41 per cent of China’s exported arms.
“China’s capacity to indigenously produce military platforms has made significant gains over the past decade or so, and gone are the days when it simply used to copy Soviet or Russian designs, so countries buying Chinese equipment like Pakistan certainly stand to gain,” says Peter Felstead, editor of IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, the global defence publication.
“The gap between Chinese capabilities and those of the west have been narrowed, except in a few areas such as the production of aero-engines, for which Chinese-built platforms remain dependent on Russian imports.”
Mr Felstead’s reference to Russian components is most visible in the case of the JF-17 “Thunder” fighter jet, jointly manufactured by China and the Pakistan Air Force at its Pakistan Aeronautical Complex facility just north of Islamabad. A senior Pakistan defence ministry official confirmed that the JF-17, which will become the PAF’s main second-line fighter jet, will be “powered for the foreseeable future” with the Russian-built RD-93 engine, overlooking Beijing’s offer of a Chinese engine.
Pieter Wezeman of the SIPRI says Chinese military equipment is at a disadvantage for not having been used in conflict situations, unlike hardware from western suppliers which comes with a combat history. “The only place where Chinese equipment is known to have performed alongside equipment from other suppliers is Pakistan,” he notes.
In the case of Pakistan’s use of its first armed drone, Mr Wezeman says it is important to remember that it was used against Taliban targets in a remote region along the Afghan border, and it was not challenged by enemy aircraft. “One has to be careful before one sees this as a breakthrough,” he adds.
Still, western defence officials say Beijing’s strategy of offering significantly lower prices and a virtual absence of political strings gives China a rising presence in international markets.
The Financial Times Limited 2016.
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