Pakistan Army Aviation Corps

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Pakistan Army Aviation Corps
Pakistan Army Aviation Insignia.jpg
Badge of the Corps of Aviation
Founded1958;66 years ago (1958)
CountryFlag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
BranchFlag of the Pakistani Army.svg  Pakistan Army
Type Combined and Combat support service
Role Administrative and staffing oversight.
HQ/Garrison Army GHQ in Rawalpindi, Punjab in Pakistan.
Nickname(s)AVN
Colors identificationPurple, White, Yellow
   
Anniversaries1958
Engagements Military history of Pakistan
Commanders
Director-General Maj-Gen. Dr. Najeeb Ahmad
Notable
commanders
Brigadier Zakaullah Bhangoo
Insignia
War Flag
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg
Patch
AAvn logo.PNG
Aircraft flown
Attack helicopter AH-1 Cobra
Mi-35M Hind-E
Z-10ME
Bell AH-1Z Viper
Multirole helicopter AW139
Bell 412
Eurocopter Fennec
Trainer helicopter 206 JetRanger
Enstrom 280FX
Schweizer 300C
Utility helicopter Mi-17/171
SA 330 Puma
Alouette III
Eurocopter Écureuil
SA 315B Lama
UH-1 Huey
Reconnaissance Super King Air 350i
Transport Super King Air 350
Y-12
Turbo Commander 690C
206 Stationair
208 Caravan
Citation V
Citation Bravo
G450

The Pakistan Army Corps of Aviation is a military administrative and combined arms service branch of the Pakistan Army. [1]

Contents

The Aviation Corps is tasked with configuration of all army aviation aircraft and provides principle close aerial combat support and aerial logistics for the Pakistan Army. [1]

Overview

Originally formed by the British Army Air Corps in 1942, the partition in 1947 of the former British Indian Army allowed the entire unit of the British Army's Air Corps to be transferred to the Pakistan Army. [1] Initially, the Aviation Corps was part of the Pakistan Air Force but was commissioned in the Pakistan Army after its personnel were trained and certified in the United States in 1958.:32 [2] [3] The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering started to maintain the aircraft and helicopters given by the U.S. Army's Aviation Branch, opening its own aviation school in 1959. [4]

Since the 1960s, the corps expanded in momentum, manpower, and its operational scope has widened. [4] The Aviation Corps became a combat support branch when it inducted its first attack helicopters from Iran in 1970. [4] The Aviation Corps is commanded by an active-duty two star major-general, who serves as its director-general and functions directly under the Chief of the General Staff at the Army GHQ in Rawalpindi, Punjab. [5]

Aircraft inventory

The Pakistan Army operates 314+ 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.[ citation needed ]

15 Bell AH-1Z Viper with Hellfire missiles, equipment and support worth $952 million were on order but were not delivered due to political tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan. [6]

30 TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK worth $1.5 billion is on order however production is still on hold due to the United States not giving export license for the engine, which is of American origin. New Turkish indigenous engine as a replacement is currently on trials. [7]

After the United States failed to deliver the AH-1Z and the problems with the Turkish T129, the Pakistan Army again is showing interests in Chinese all-weather, multirole CAIC Z-10ME which is the advanced and upgraded variant of the CAIC Z-10. [8]

Aircraft/SystemPhotoOriginRoleVariantQuantityNoteService period
Helicopters 314, 92 Attack
Bell AH-1 Cobra AH-1S Cobra.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Attack AH-1F 50 [9] 1985–present
CAIC Z-10 Changhe Z-10.jpg Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Attack Z-10ME 3 [10] 17 on order. [11] 2023–
Mil Mi-35 Mil Mi-35M (51 yellow).jpg Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Attack Mi-35M3 4 [9] 2018–present
Eurocopter Fennec 050618-Fennec-03.jpg Flag of France.svg  France Armed / Scout AS550 C3 35 [9] [12] 2009–present
Mil Mi-17 Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17-1V Asuspine.jpg Flag of Russia.svg  Russia SAR
Utility
Transport
Mi-171 48 [9] 1996–present
AgustaWestland AW139 Italian Helicopter HH139, Trident Juncture 15 (cropped).jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy SAR
Utility
Transport
AW139M 7 [9] [13] Also used as VIP transport.2017–present
Aérospatiale/IAR SA 330 Puma A Royal Air Force Puma helicopter over the English countryside.jpg Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
SAR
Utility
Transport
330L 43 [9] 1977–present
Bell 412 LAFD Bell 412 (cropped).jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Liaison
Utility
412EP 31 [9] 2004–present
Bell UH-1 Iroquois UH1 Huey - Fly Navy 2017 (cropped).jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Liaison
Utility
UH-1H 1 [9] 1970s
Aérospatiale Alouette III Sud SA 316B Alouette III A-247 (cropped).jpg Flag of France.svg  France Light Utility SA 316B 13 [9] 1967–present
Aérospatiale Lama Aerospatiale SA-315B Lama, Air Glaciers AN1174533.jpg Flag of France.svg  France Light Utility SA 315B 17 [9] 1986–present
Bell 206 JetRanger Bell 206B Jet Ranger III at Filton Airfield 2006-06-10.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Trainer 206B 18 [9] 1975–present
Enstrom F-28 Enstrom 280fx shark g-zzww arp.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Trainer 280FX 19 [9] 2018–present
Schweizer 300 Alphachuck krj.JPG Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Trainer 300C 25 [9] 1993–present
Fixed-wing Aircraft
PAC MFI-17 Mushshak Pakistan MFI-17 Super Mushshak (mod. flight).jpg Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan Trainer 214 [9]
Harbin Y-12 AVIC Harbin Y12F.jpg Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Utility Y-12(II)/F 4 [9]
Beechcraft Super King Air Beech b300 kingair 350 m-five arp.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Reconnaissance 350i 3 [9] for SIGINT & ISR
Australian Beechcraft B300 King Air 350.JPG Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Transport 350ER 6 [9]
Turbo Commander A Iranian police Aero Commander 690.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Transport 690C 2 [9]
Cessna 208 Caravan Cessna 208B SKS (105090285).jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States MEDEVAC
208B 13 [9]
Cessna 206 Stationair M-AXIM-Cessna-T206H-Popham-4361.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States MEDEVAC T206H 4 [14]
Cessna Citation II Cessna 550b citation bravo cs-dhr arp.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States VIP Transport Citation Bravo 1 [9]
Cessna Citation V Cessna uc-35a citation 560 ultra v arp.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States VIP Transport Citation Ultra 1 [15]
Gulfstream IV Gulfstream IV RNLAF.jpg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States VIP Transport G450 1 [16]

Retired Aircraft

Notable accidents and incidents

The Mil Mi-17 (with Pakistani military markings) participating in combat support operations in coordination with Russian forces, 2017 Drujba pakistan 550 4.jpg
The Mil Mi-17 (with Pakistani military markings) participating in combat support operations in coordination with Russian forces, 2017

Units

See also

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References

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