9th Auxiliary Squadron | |
---|---|
Country | Pakistan |
Allegiance | Pakistan Navy |
Type | Auxiliary fleet |
Role | Logistical support, naval mining, fuel replenishment |
Size | 9 ships (as of 2024) |
Part of | Pakistan Navy |
Ships | List |
The 9th Auxiliary Squadron, also referred to in the media as the 9th Auxiliary and Mine Warfare Squadron, [a] is one of the six squadrons of the Pakistan Navy and serves as one of the two units responsible for auxiliary fleet operations. It is the largest squadron under the Surface Fleet, officially referred to as the Surface Warriors, based on the number of ships. The squadron is primarily designed to provide logistical support and operational assistance to warships. It consists of nine ships, including two fleet tankers, two coastal tankers, two small utility ships, and three minehunters. [1] [2]
The 9th Auxiliary Squadron, with its leading ship PNS Nasr, [3] contributes to long-range helicopter operations, equipped with anti-ship missiles and torpedoes for both offensive and defensive roles. [4]
The squadron includes two fleet tankers, PNS Moawin and PNS Nasr, which provide logistical support to Pakistan Navy vessels operating in distant waters. These tankers are responsible for replenishing fuel, provisions, and other supplies, enabling extended maritime deployments. [5]
The coastal resupply capability of the squadron is provided by two indigenously built first-generation coastal tankers, PNS Gwadar and PNS Kalmat. These vessels are designed for fuel and cargo transportation along Pakistan's coastline and to nearby regions. [6]
The squadron also operates two second-generation small tankers (small tanker-cum-utility ships (STUS)), PNS Rasadgar and PNS Madadgar, which were designed and built domestically. These vessels are responsible for utility support and enable the Navy's coastal replenishment capacity. [7] PNS Rasadgar is the sister ship of PMSS Kashmir. [8] Both ships built and designed by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, were inducted in the navy in 2011. [9]
Mine warfare capability within the squadron is provided by three Éridan class MCMVs—PNS Munsif, PNS Muhafiz, and PNS Mujahid. These vessels are equipped with advanced mine detection and neutralization systems. While PNS Munsif and PNS Muhafiz were built in France, PNS Mujahid was constructed in Pakistan. [10]
Class | Image | Name | Origin | In service |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fleet tankers [5] | ||||
Type 905 | PNS Nasr | China | 1987–present | |
Replenishment oiler | PNS Moawin | Pakistan | 2018–present | |
Coastal tankers [6] | ||||
Fuel tank (replenishment) | PNS Gwadar | Pakistan | 1984–present | |
Fuel tank (replenishment) | PNS Kalmat | Pakistan | 1992–present | |
Small tanker-cum-utility ships (STUS) [7] | ||||
Kashmir-class | PNS Rasadgar | Pakistan | 2011–present | |
Unknown | PNS Madadgar | Pakistan | 2011–present | |
Mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) [10] | ||||
Éridan class | PNS Munsif | France | 1989–present | |
Adjutant-class minesweeper | PNS Muhafiz | France | 1992–present | |
Éridan class | PNS Mujahid | Pakistan | 1998–present |
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short for "Finnish Navy ship", but this is not used in Finnish-language contexts. The Finnish Navy also includes coastal forces and coastal artillery.
HMS Cadiz was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named after the Battle of Cádiz, in which the French besieged the Spanish town in 1810, which was eventually lifted in 1812 after the French defeat at the Battle of Salamanca.
The Pakistan Navy (PN) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The Pakistan Navy operates on the coastline of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. It was established in August 1947, following the creation of Pakistan.
A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers.
The Sandown class is a class of fifteen minehunters built primarily for the Royal Navy by Vosper Thornycroft. The Sandown class also serve with the Royal Saudi Navy, the Estonian Navy, and the Ukrainian Navy. The first vessel was commissioned into Royal Navy service on 9 June 1989 and all the British ships were named after coastal towns and cities. Although the class had a primary mine countermeasures role, they have had a secondary role as offshore patrol vessels. As of early 2024, only one vessel of the class remains in active service with the Royal Navy.
Operation Trident was an offensive operation launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan's port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Operation Trident saw the first use of anti-ship missiles in combat in the region. The operation was conducted on the night of 4–5 December and inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels and facilities. While India suffered no losses, Pakistan lost a minesweeper, a destroyer, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, and fuel storage tanks in Karachi. Another destroyer was also badly damaged and eventually scrapped. India celebrates its Navy Day annually on 4 December to mark this operation. Trident was followed up by Operation Python three days later.
Naval tactics and doctrine is the collective name for methods of engaging and defeating an enemy ship or fleet in battle at sea during naval warfare, the naval equivalent of military tactics on land.
HMS Penzance was a Sandown-class minehunter commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1998. She was named after the seaside town of Penzance in Cornwall, and was the fourth vessel to bear the name. She was decommissioned in January 2024.
The Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Limited is a major defence contractor and shipbuilding company situated in the West Wharf in Karachi, Sindh in Pakistan.
The Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971 refers to the maritime military engagements between the Indian Navy and the Pakistan Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The series of naval operations began with the Indian Navy's exertion of pressure on Pakistan from the Indian Ocean, while the Indian Army and Indian Air Force moved in to choke Pakistani forces operating in East Pakistan on land. Indian naval operations comprised naval interdiction, air defence, ground support, and logistics missions.
PNS Moawin (A39), is a fleet replenishment tanker currently in service with the Pakistan Navy. Designed by the Turkish firm, STM, she was built and constructed by the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works in Karachi, Pakistan. Moawin is noted for its displacement, being the largest warship ever built in Pakistan.
Commander Pakistan Fleet (COMPAK) is a formal title in the Pakistan Navy to denote the head of Pakistan Fleet Command. The role is responsible for fleet support, progressive transition of the fleet, and the effectiveness of the force. The COMPAK is also assigned with responsibilities to oversee combat and staff capabilities of the fleet such as deployment of the forces, in addition to ensure equipment capacities designed to improve "operational readiness".
Shifaat Ali Khan HI(M) is a rear admiral of the Pakistan Navy, currently serving as the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Welfare and Housing (DCNS-W&H).
The 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron, commonly referred to as the Killer Squadron, is a formation of the Indian Navy, composed primarily of Veer-class corvettes. This squadron, based in INS Agnibahu, Mumbai, was officially established in October 1991 with a complement of ten Veer-class and three Prabal-class missile boats. However, the roots of the Killer Squadron trace back to 1969, when the Indian Navy inducted Osa-class missile boats from the Soviet Union. These vessels were transported to India on heavy lift merchant ships and were commissioned in early 1971 at Kolkata. The squadron quickly demonstrated its prowess in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, playing a decisive role in the conflict.
The 333 Squadron also known by its nickname the Seagulls is a helicopter squadron of the Pakistan Naval Air Arm which operates Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopters stationed at PNS Mehran. With its helicopters deployed aboard various ships of the Pakistan Navy, the squadron is assigned with anti-submarine warfare role while also conducting secondary duties ranging from SAR to MEDEVAC.
28 ASW Squadron is a maritime patrol squadron of the Pakistan Navy stationed at PNS Mehran in Karachi. Equipped with Lockheed P-3C Orions, the squadron is assigned Anti-submarine warfare wartime role.
The 25th Destroyer Squadron (DESRON-25) is one of the two destroyer squadrons in the Pakistan Navy and is part of the six total squadrons in the fleet. It is the largest squadron in the navy, second only to the 9th Auxiliary Squadron in terms of ship count and the largest squadron by role. It comprises a fleet of various destroyers, including Tariq-class destroyers, Yarmook-class corvettes, Tughri, and Zulfiquar-class frigates. The Squadron previously operated a fleet six Tariq-class destroyers tasked with various roles, including anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare. The squadron is responsible to the Fleet Command, operating under the commander, Pakistan Fleet.