Pakistan Ordnance Factories

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Pakistan Ordnance Factories
Native name
 Urdu: پاکستان آرڈیننس فیکٹریاں
Company type State-owned enterprise
Industry Arms Industry
Founded28 December 1951
Headquarters
Wah Cantonment, Punjab
,
Pakistan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
 Lt General Syed Tahir Hameed Shah, HI(M) (Chairman)
Products automatic rifles, pistols, bolt-action rifles, machine guns, mortars, artillery ammunition, aircraft ammunitation, anti-aircraft ammunition, tank amuunitation, anti-tank ammunition, bombs, grenades, land mines, pyrotechnics, ammunition, rockets, missiles, explosives, propellants, detonators, chemicals and military tactical gear
Owner MoDP
Number of employees
>27,000
Website www.pof.gov.pk
POF Youtube Channel

The Pakistan Ordnance Factories (commonly abbreviated as POF) is a state-owned weapons manufacturer headquartered in Wah Cantt, Punjab, Pakistan. [1] POF is the largest defence manufacturer in Pakistan employing over 27,000 people. POF is often described as the "Force Behind the Forces".

Contents

The POF produces commerical and military products including automatic rifles, pistols, bolt-action rifles, machine guns, mortars, artillery ammunition, aircraft ammunitation, anti-aircraft ammunition, tank amuunitation, anti-tank ammunition, bombs, grenades, land mines, pyrotechnics, ammunition, rockets, missiles, explosives, propellants, detonators, chemicals and military tactical gear. [2] The POF produces multiple weapons under license from other defense manufacturers such as Heckler and Koch, Beretta, NORINCO as well as having its own extensive R&D. The POF produces ammunition & armaments hat meets requirements set by NATO specification. [3]

The POF is owned and sponsored by the Government of Pakistan, via the Ministry of Defence Production. The corporate leadership of POF comes on secondment by General Headquarters, Rawalpindi. [4] POF is usually commanded by a Lieutenant General from Pakistan Army. The current incumbent Chairman is Lt. Gen. Syed Tahir Hameed Shah, HI(M).

The POF primarily serves the ammunition needs of Pakistan Armed Forces, Civil Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies, private security markets, as well as exporting to 40 countries worldwide. [1] As per the directives of Ministry of Interior, only POF has the right to produceprohibited-bore weapons in Pakistan. [5]

History

During their colonial rule, the British built sixteen ordnance factories in the British Raj, most of which were inherited by India. Pakistan's first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, issued a directive within four months of the formation of Pakistan to establish an ordnance factory in collaboration with British Royal Ordnance Factory to manufacture 0.303 calibre rifles. On 28 December 1951 Pakistan's Second Prime Minister, Khawaja Nazimuddin, inaugurated the first four POF workshops in the small town of Wah Cantonment. [6]

The Pakistani Ordnance Factory at Wah Cantt received the machinery from ROF Fazakerley in the UK to produce the Lee Enfield No.4 rifle. [7] These rifles operated on the 0.303 calibre cartridges. In 1967 the Pakistan's Army adopted the G3 rifle and the Lee Enfiled No.4 rifles in service began to be phased out over time. However, when the Indo-Pak war of 1971, majority of the units were still armed with Lee Enfiled No. 4 rifles, Majority of them produced at Pakistan Ordinance Factories. [8]

A Stamp was also issued by Pakistan Post on the occasion of golden jubilee of POF (Dt. 28 December 2001) to honour the country's largest defence manufacturing unit's services. [9]

A variety of grenades, artillery shells, mortar shells and other ammunition produced by POF, on display at the IDEAS 2008 Defence Exhibition in Karachi, Pakistan. Bomb Shells produced at POF WAH.jpg
A variety of grenades, artillery shells, mortar shells and other ammunition produced by POF, on display at the IDEAS 2008 Defence Exhibition in Karachi, Pakistan.

Products

The POF produces commerical and military products including automatic rifles, pistols, bolt-action rifles, machine guns, mortars, artillery ammunition, aircraft ammunitation, anti-aircraft ammunition, tank amuunitation, anti-tank ammunition, bombs, grenades, land mines, pyrotechnics, ammunition, rockets, missiles, explosives, propellants, detonators, chemicals and military tactical gear. [2] The POF produces ammunition & armaments hat meets requirements set by NATO specification. [3] [2]

Customers

Pakistan Armed Forces (PAF)

POF primarily serves the defense need of Pakistan Armed Forces which includes Pakistan Army, Pakistan Airforce, Pakistan Navy

Civil Armed Forces (CAF)

POF also serves a group of paramilitary and gendarmerie organisations that include Punjab Rangers, Sindh Rangers, Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North), Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (South), Frontier Corps Balochistan (North), Frontier Corps Balochistan (South), Federal Constabulary, Pakistan Coast Guards, Gilgit Baltistan Scouts

Several HK MP5 and HK G3 variants produced by POF on display at an exhibition MP4 a and G3 produced at POF WAH under licensed.jpg
Several HK MP5 and HK G3 variants produced by POF on display at an exhibition

Besides these POF also serves Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, Airports Security Force, Anti Narcotics Force, Defence Security Force.

Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs)

POF also serves Islamabad Police , Balochistan Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Gilgit-Baltistan Police, Azad Kashmir Police, Sindh Police, Punjab Police as well as other allied LEAs such as Pakistan Customs, National Highways and Motorway Police, National Counter Terrorism Authority, Pakistan Railways Police.

Civil Trade

POF is also produces arms and armaments for sports shooting, hunting and self-defense. POF has the exclusive rights to produce prohibited-bore weapons in Pakistan. POF produces multiple arms and ammunitions under license from other defense manufacturers such as heckler and koch, Beretta, NORINCO among others [5]

Exports

In addition to meeting the demands of Pakistan Armed Forces, Civil Armed Forces, & Law Enforcement Agencies. POF products are in service with over 40 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. Ammunition and rifles have been exported to countries such as Ukraine, Iraq, Croatia and Afghanistan for their respective military establishments.

During the Russo-Ukrainian War, BBC Urdu claimed that POF has allegedly exported arms and ammunition, worth $364 Million, to armed forced of Ukraine. The various type of ammunition provided are 122mm Yarmuk HE-Frag rockets, [10] [11] 122mm howitzer shells, [12] 155mm artillery shells, M4A2 propelling bag charges, M82 primers, PDM fuses, [13] M44A2 120mm HE mortar bombs, [14] 130mm shells, 40mm RPG7 HEAT ammo, 12.7×99mm armor piercing cartridges, 12.7×108mm bullets, and 7.62×54mmR bullets. [15]

Pakistan Ordnance Factories also regularly displays its weaponry in defense exhibitions both nationally and internationally such as IDEAS.

Production facilities

POF Consists of the following divisions and factories [16]

  1. Weapons Factory. This facility has produced rifles and machineguns under license from Heckler and Koch of West Germany. The Weapons Factory is POF's showcase, boasting computer-aided design processes and computer numerically controlled machinery.
  2. Small-Arms Ammunition Factory. Makes rifle and pistol rounds and rifle grenades.
  3. Medium Artillery Ammunition Factory. Manufactures medium-caliber artillery ammunition, as well as grenades and aircraft bombs.
  4. Tungsten-Alloy Factory Uses computerized machinery to produce penetrators artillery and tank rounds designed by POF.
  5. Carbide Factory. Probably associated with the tungsten facility.
  6. Tank and Anti-tank Ammunition Factory Produces tank and anti-tank munitions of 100mm and larger.
  7. Heavy Artillery Ammunition Factory Produces artillery and mortar rounds, and fuzes for anti-tank rounds. The facility was built with Czechoslovak assistance.
  8. Explosives Factory Produces explosives for various munitions produced by POF.
  9. Propellant Factory Produces single-base and double-base ammunition propellant.
  10. Clothing Factory Makes uniforms for Pakistan's Armed Services.
  11. Brass Mills. Produces brass sheets and other components for ammunition manufacturing. The factory also sells its produce commercially to clients inside, as well as outside, Pakistan.
  12. Filling Factory. Produces explosives and assembles ammunition.
  13. Packaging Factory. Makes boxes and crates for ammunition POF.

Commercial ventures

Wah Industries Limited

Wah Industries Limited (WIL) was established in 1958 as a commercial enterprise of Pakistan Ordnance Factories and was incorporated as a Public Limited Company under the companies Act 1913 (Companies Ordinance 1984) for optimal utilization of surplus production capacity. WIL has the following subsidiaries. [17]

  1. Wah Brass Mills(Pvt.) Ltd. was established in 1954 and is engaged in producing premium quality brass and other copper alloys, conforming to the most stringent international standards adopted worldwide. [18]
  2. Hi-Tech Plastics, is supplying Plastics, packing material to Pakistan Armed Forces. Moreover, the commercial products such as PVC pipes, Drip irrigation systems and many more.
  3. Short Gun Ammo Factory was established in 1981, since then it is manufacturing different types of 12-Bore Cartridges with brand name of “Shaheen”. [19] 12 Bore Shaheen cartridges include shot number 4 to 9. Moreover, Skeets , Buck shots, SG, LG, BB and AAA are also manufactured along with non-lethal cartridges for LEAs & PAF.
  4. ElectraTech Established as a sub-unit of WIL for one window PCB Solutions which include PCB Designing, PCB Fabrication, SMT and THT.
  5. Guns & More is a subsidiary of WIL, Guns & More has widened the scope of domestic sales of non-prohibited arms, ammunition and hunting gear across Pakistan. [20]
  6. Wah Construction (Pvt.) Ltd.
  7. Wah Clothing (Pvt.) Ltd.

Wah Nobel Group of Companie

Wah Nobel Group is a holding company that is a subsidiary of Wah Industries Ltd, SAAB Group and Al Misehal Group with equity interests of 51.75%, 27.23% and 21.02% respectively. Wah Nobel has the following subsidiaries. [21]

  1. Wah Nobel (Pvt.) Ltd. sells Commercial Explosives, Detonators, and Blasting Accessories.
  2. Wah Nobel Chemicals is a listed company on PSX. [22] It was established in 1982 and produces an extensive range of Industrial Chemicals like Formaldehyde, Urea Formaldehyde, Glue and Resins. [23]
  3. Wah Nobel Acetates Ltd. was established in 1998. The company produces Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Acetic Acid and Pentaerythritol. It is also involved in the trading of Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), Toulene, Xylene etc
  4. Wah Nobel Balochistan Explosives (Pvt) Ltd. was set up at Saindak in 1993 to meet demand of local mining projects.
  5. Nobel Energy Ltd is engaged in providing green energy solutions i.e Solar and Hydro Power Projects.
  6. Wah Nobel Gilgit Baltistan (Pvt) ltd
  7. Gezhouba-Wah Nobel Blasting Pvt. Ltd

Incidents

August 2008 bombing

On 21 August 2008, POF's industrial complex was the target of twin suicide bombings by the Tehrik-i-Taliban; 68 people were killed and 81 injured in the attack. [24]

2021 explosion

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Haider, Mateen (28 November 2014). "Made in Pakistan". Dawn newspapers, 2014. Dawn newspapers. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Pakistan Ordnance Factories".
  3. 1 2 staff writer. "History of POF". History of POF. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Pakistan Ordnance Factories. "Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Purchase of prohibited bore arms, except those made by POF, banned". Business Recorder. 16 November 2023.
  6. ↑ John Pike. "Wah Cantonment – Pakistan Special Weapons Facilities". GlobalSecurity.org website. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "1961 No.4 Mk2". "The Pakistani Ordnance Factory at Wah Cantt received the machinery from ROF Fazakerley in the UK and the necessary tools and gauges to produce the No.4 rifle".
  8. ↑ "1961 No.4 Mk2".
  9. ↑ "Golden Jubilee of Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Wah". pakpost.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "До України доставили пакистанські снаряди Yarmuk". 26 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "Pakistani Artillery Rockets for BM-21 Grad MLRS are in Use of Ukrainian Military (Photo)". 26 March 2023.
  12. ↑ Pakistan, Ukraine, And The Race For Third-Party Ammunition, 6 October 2022, The Drive
  13. ↑ Pakistan sending large quantity of artillery ammunition to Ukraine,12 January 2023, Army Recognition.
  14. ↑ [ https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1636372521087045637 Ukraine Weapons Tracker], 16 March 2023, Twitter.
  15. ↑ Pak emerges as major supplier of ammunition to Ukraine in war with Russia, 15 April 2023, Sunday Guardian Alive.
  16. ↑ "Pakistan Ordnance Factories".
  17. ↑ "Wah Industries Ltd".
  18. ↑ "Wah Brass Mills".
  19. ↑ "Guns & More".
  20. ↑ "Guns and More".
  21. ↑ "Wah Nobel".
  22. ↑ "WAH nobel on Pakistan Stock Exchange".
  23. ↑ "Wah Nobel Chemicals".
  24. ↑ "Pakistan suicide bombers hit arms factory in Pakistan". BBC . 21 August 2008. Archived from the original on 24 August 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2016.

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