Pakistan Army Aviation Corps

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Pakistan Army Aviation Corps
Urdu: ﺁرمى ایویشن كور
Cap Badge of Pakistan Army Aviation
Founded	14 August 1947 - present
Country	Pakistan
Branch	Pakistan Army
Type	Army aviation
Headquarters/Garrison	Army Aviation Command, Rawalpindi
Engagements	see Military history of Pakistan
Decorations	9×Sitara-i-Jurat 13×Sitara-i-Basalat 15xTamgha-i-Basalat COAS Commendation Cards Imtiazi Sanads
Battle honours	Chumak (Siachin) Saviours
Commanders
General Officer Commanding	Maj Gen Nadeem Yousaf
Notable commanders	Lt Gen AB Awan Brigadier Jabbar Maj Gen Azam Brigadier Zaka Bhangoo Brigadier M Ahmed Raashid Maj Gen Waqar Ahmed Kingravi Maj Gen Nasir Dilawar Shah Brigadier Hamid Chaudhry
Aircraft flown
Attack helicopter	Mi-35M Hind-E
Multirole helicopter	AW139 Bell 412
Trainer helicopter	Enstrom 280FX Schweizer 300C
Utility helicopter	206 JetRanger Alouette III Eurocopter Écureuil Eurocopter Fennec Mi-17/171 SA 315B Lama SA 330 Puma UH-1 Huey
Reconnaissance	Beechcraft Super King Air 350i
Transport	Beechcraft Super King Air 350 Bombardier Challenger 605 Cessna 206 Stationair Cessna 208 Caravan Cessna Citation V Cessna Citation Bravo Gulfstream G450 Harbin Y-12 Turbo Commander 690C

The Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (Urdu: ﺁرمى ایویشن كور; Army Aviation Corps), abbreviated as Avn, is the aviation corps of the Pakistan Army, tasked with providing close aerial combat support and aerial logistics for the Pakistan Army.^[1]

History[]

Originally formed by British Army Air Corps in 1942, the entire unit was transferred to Pakistan in 1947.^[1] The officers and personnel were part of the Air Observation Post who were deployed in support of Punjab Boundary Force. Later the entire group was stationed at Chaklala Air Force Base before the partition of India.^[1]

Initially part of Pakistan Air Force, the Corps was split into the new service and became part of Pakistan Army in 1958.^[2] The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering started to maintain the aircraft and helicopters given by the United States Army Aviation Branch, opening its own aviation school in 1959.^[3]

Since the 1960s, the corps expanded in momentum, manpower, and its operational scope has widened.^[3] By the 1970s, the Corps became a fighting air component of the Pakistan Army, with its attack helicopters becoming the backbone of military operations.^[3] The Corps has become an integral part of Pakistan Army's every imitated operations, and came to public and international notice in the 1970s after initiating, and successfully quelling, the serious civil war in Balochistan.^[2]

It is also a most decorated Corps of Pakistan Army, with more national citations and awards conferred and bestowed to this Corps than any combatant corps of Pakistan Army. Although it came into existence in 1947, the corps was given a full commission in 1977.^[2]

Combat operations[]

As for its war capabilities, the Corps has a long history; participating in every conflict and war with India, they also led and flew bombing and combat missions in the Afghanistan war, Somalian War, Sierra Leone war, Mozambique war, Sri Lankan war Bosnian war, and recently, the War in North-West Pakistan. The corps has actively participated in Siachin Conflict, Kargil Conflict and War on Terror. The daring pilots of Pakistan Army Aviation have conducted some of the most historic and difficult missions in Aviation history, in pursuit of which some of them laid down their lives. They are known for their professionalism for high altitude flying, combat, assault and rescue missions.^[1]

The Corps also initiated the non-combatant operations in 2005, when it led a massive airlift and re-location mission after the Kashmir earthquake.^[2] In 1991, the Corps was stationed in Bangladesh, where they completed its non-combat mission after the country was hit with a cyclone.^[2] Since its inception, the Corps has become a significant combatant arm of the Pakistan Army, poised for a definite and critical role be it peace or war.^[1]

Aircraft inventory[]

Pakistan Army operates 281+ helicopters alongside several fixed-wing aircraft.

3 CAIC Z-10 attack helicopters of China were delivered for trial use so that orders could be made in the future. However, as of 2018, no orders have been made further and replaced by TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK, this could mean that these 3 helicopters were returned with no follow-up order.

30 TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK worth $1.5 billion is on order however production is still on hold due to the United States not givening export license for the engine, which of American orgin. New Turkish indigenous engine as a replacement is currently on trial.^[4]

15 Bell AH-1Z Viper with Hellfire missiles, equipment and support worth $952 million is on order but deliveries on hold due to political tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan.^[5]

Pakistan Army again showing interests in Chinese all-weather, multirole CAIC Z-10ME which is the advanced & upgraded variant of CAIC Z-10 if Turkey and the United States fail to deliver on their orders of the T129 and AH-1Z respectively.^[6]

Aircraft/System	Photo	Origin	Role	Variant	Quantity	Note	Service period
Helicopters
Bell AH-1 Cobra		United States	Attack	AH-1F	48[7]	Modernized & upgraded.	1985–present
Mil Mi-35		Russia	Attack	Mi-35M3	4[7]		2018–present
Airbus Helicopters H125M		France	Armed Scout	AS550 C3	32[7]		2009–present
Mil Mi-17		Russia	SAR Utility Transport	Mi-171	48[7]		1996–present
AgustaWestland AW139		Italy	SAR Utility Transport	AW139M	25[7][8]	Also used as VIP transport.	2017–present
Aérospatiale/IAR SA 330 Puma		France  Romania	SAR Utility Transport	330L	45[7]		1977–present
Bell 412		United States	SAR Utility Transport	412EP	35[7]		2004–present
Airbus Helicopters H125		France	SAR Utility	AS350 B3	9[9]	[10]	2005–present
Aérospatiale Alouette III		France	SAR Utility	SA 316B	13[7]		1967–present
Aérospatiale Lama		France	SAR Utility	SA 315B	18[7]		1986–present
Bell 206 JetRanger		United States	Utility	206B	18[7]		1975–present
Bell UH-1 Iroquois		United States	Utility	UH-1H	1[7]		1970s
Enstrom F-28		United States	Trainer	280FX	19[7]		2018–present
Schweizer 300		United States	Trainer	300C	15[7]		1993–present
Fixed-wing Aircraft
PAC MFI-17 Mushshak		Pakistan	Trainer		215[7]
Beechcraft Super King Air		United States	Reconnaissance	350i	3[7]	for SIGINT & ISR
		United States	Transport	350ER	6[7]
Cessna 208 Caravan		United States	MEDEVAC Utility	208B	7[7]
Cessna 206 Stationair		United States	MEDEVAC	T206H	4[11]
Harbin Y-12		China	Utility	Y-12(II)/F	4[7]
Turbo Commander		United States	Utility	690C	2[12]
Gulfstream IV		United States	VIP Transport	G450	1[13]
Cessna Citation V		United States	VIP Transport	Citation Ultra	1[14]
Cessna Citation II		United States	VIP Transport	Citation Bravo	1[7]

Retired Aircraft[]

• Auster 5 1947-1957
• Auster AOP.6 1947-1957
• Cessna O-1 Bird Dog 1957-1990
• Beechcraft U-8F Seminole 1963-1983
• Bell Model 47 1964-1990
• Bell OH-13 Sioux 1964-1990
• Mil Mi-8 1969-1998

See also[]

• Pakistan Air Force
• List of active Pakistan Air Force aircraft
• Pakistan Naval Air Arm
• Equipment of the Pakistan Army

References[]

External links[]

• ISPR. "History of Pakistan Army Aviation". YouTube. Retrieved 21 December 2011.