peagle
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What is an independent arm?
The US Marines are a fully independent command that all use Navy ships yet their ships are dedicated ones but the Navy operates them, At no point have the marines asked for a separate Navy arm.
On the other hand - there were/are now two dedicated squadrons whose task is purely to provide Naval support. Today the NHQ has dedicated staff officers from the PAF that coordinate everything from support to air defense. So why should there be a separate arm?
I think my use of the term independent may have been misunderstood. Or, perhaps I wasn't clear.
The main branches of Military are Army, Air force and Navy, Marines independent status varies from country to country.
But there are specialised independent units or sub groups within each branch that have specific roles, such as the SSG, SSW, SSGn, Army Aviation. Naval Air support similar is a separate branch operating within the Naval framework. It is either operationalized within the Air Force or as part of the Navy. Right now as you point out it is operationalised by the Air Force, not the Navy, which would be the next logical step, whenever that may be.
Similarly, before the evolution of Pakistan Army Aviation, the sole responsibility for ground air cover was fulfilled by Pakistan Air Force, but now Pakistan Army built internal capacity for air support in the form of helicopters, drones and light aircraft adapted to fulfil low risk ground attacks. This has reduced the burden on the Air Force.
That is what I meant by independent, and my deduction was that the operational role of Naval air support is perhaps being shifted towards the Navy's internal structures.
I hope the PN and PAF are forming an air arm that can at least cover the EEZ and a little beyond, with enough assets including fighters to prevent a blockade or cut the SLOCS, and can cover the ASW assets in the air, on the surface and under the waves; forming a “Bastion”.
Probably best to put it with the PN marines, so they can also cover the littoral and areas like the Indus delta, which maybe an axis of attack in a future war.
We already have reasonable attack capabilities that are operationalized by the Air Force, but at some point those responsibilities would have to be shift to the Navy. It would make no sense to give that responsibility to the Marines, because the Marines are a specialised force.
Naval Air Arm is an established force in various major navies around the world, we would have to create a similar force, much like the Pakistan Army Aviation. Pakistan Navy is growing at a fast pace, so I can only assume that this step is very close.
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