War in North-West Pakistan order of battle

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An airborne paratrooper observes the mountains after the military operation in 2009. Keeping watch at Baine Baba Ziarat - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg
An airborne paratrooper observes the mountains after the military operation in 2009.

The North-Western Contingent order of battle (NWPORBAT; officially order of battle is known as "Tri-services framework [1] (TSW)" [2] ) is the comprehensive deposition and systematic structure of the unified Pakistan military forces in tackling down and controlling the insurgency in Western Pakistan. The deployments began in 2002 after the International Security Assistance Force invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 in a response to the deadly terrorist attacks in New York, United States.

Contents

This article lists deployed unified military units under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) which controls both combatant operations and reconstruction efforts, which is often led by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB). Since 2002, the number of troops stationing and circling increased to keep the momentum and pressure on the insurgent groups laying militant attacks on Pakistan. In 2008, Chairman joint chiefs General Tariq Majid submitted his report on new deployment and formations under title as "Tri-services framework", to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani which was approved by the Prime minister. [2]

Deployment of the military forces

US Army map displays insurgent areas of operation. Insurgent Regions in Afghanistan and Pakistan.jpg
US Army map displays insurgent areas of operation.

After the 9/11 attacks on the United States, the U.S. military responded with a large invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. [3] Initially, all Pakistan Army troops were mobilized in different military formations and deployment continued in all over the country during this period, under the command of Chairman joint chiefs General Pervez Musharraf, also self-appointing President at that time. [3] After laying discussion principle Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, [3] the XI Corps (roughly ~60,000 men) was deployed under the command of Lieutenant-General Alijan Aurakzai in North-western. Other formations were rested in eastern, southern, and the northern borders of the country. [3] By 2004, additional battalions were stationed by General Musharraf to help curb infiltration into Pakistan through its porous border. [4] On 7 October 2004, Musharraf approved the appointment of his close aide, General Ehsan-ul-Haq, who superseded seven colleagues who was brutally criticized by the media. [5] The appointment was highly controversial and political since Admiral Shahid Karimullah, Chief of Naval Staff, was the senior-most four-star officer in the armed forces. [5] After becoming the chairman joint chiefs, General Ehsan-ul-Haq oversaw the ground troops deployment of army only, while the air force was kept out of the region. [5] The strategy proved to be wrong as the violence spread out all over the country, and the army was increasingly in great pressure from the militants in 2004-07. [6] In 2007, chairman joint chiefs General Ehsan-ul-Haq admitted the only ground troops deployment was wrong as the "Waziristan truce went wrong". [7] President Musharraf ordering the highly controversial and criticized military action, Silence, to take over the Red Mosque complex plummeted Musharraf and General Ehsan's support.

The Pakistan Air Force took active operational participation in 2010 as part of new strategy. Pakistan Air Force Lockheed C-130E Hercules (L-382) Asuspine-1.jpg
The Pakistan Air Force took active operational participation in 2010 as part of new strategy.

In 2007, President Musharraf approved the General Tariq Majid and General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's appointment to four-star appointment. Keeping aware of the situation, General Majid began studying the new deployment of Pakistan armed forces. After Musharraf was ousted from the presidency in a threat of impeachment movement, General Majid submitted his studies to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and stressed out on the need to strengthen the tri-services framework. [2]

PAF's Mirage (right) flew together with F-16s in operations against the militancy, 2009. Pakistan Air Force Dassault Mirage reconnaissance variant with F-16C Block 52+.jpg
PAF's Mirage (right) flew together with F-16s in operations against the militancy, 2009.

The new order of battle now known as, "tri-services framework", General Tariq Majid strongly emphasized to harmonize individual capacities of the services so that efforts are synergized within a framework of jointness and inter-operability to meet present and future challenges. [1] Since 2008, the combined formations of Pakistan military has over a hundred thousand troops in the region. [8] From open sources it seems that 4 Pakistan army divisions, assisted by the PAF and the navy, are involved in the operation, with a JS HQ coordinating their efforts. They appear to be two regular and two heavy infantry divisions [9] Frontier Corps operates under a separate command, but its units are often parceled out to the Army. The Corps in the region, the XII Corps, usually has 2 infantry divisions, it has received from what can be gleaned from open sources two additional divisions, one from Multan; the 14th, and another from Kashmir; the 23rd.

Unified military formations and deployments

Unified Pakistan Military forces deployments and formations
Pakistan ArmyCorpsCorps Headquarters
Active operational Corps XI Corps Peshawar, KPK Province
Divisions (s)Operational capacityNote(s)
7th Infantry Division [10]
19th Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division [11]
3rd Infantry Division
Frontier Corps
Operating in Bajuar
Operating in Kohat
Operating in S. Waziristan
Operating in Swat.
Operating in Peshawar


Former part of the II Strike Corps from Punjab
Former part of X Corps from Kashmir.
Paramilitary command under KPK Government
Pakistan Air Force (PAF)CommandAir Headquarters
Active Air Command Northern Air Command Peshawar, KPK Province
Wing(s)Air Commanding Operational HQNote(s)
Air Operational AHQ
No. 36 Tactical Attack Wing
No. 37 Combat Training Wing
No. 33 Fighter Wing
No. 35 Composite Air Wing
2nd SOS Group
Command, PAF Base North
Command, PAF Base Mianvali
Command, PAF Base Minhas
Command, PAF Base Nur
Command, PAF Base Kohat
Pakistan Navy (PN)CommandNaval Headquarters
Active Command(s) Navy Northern Command Skardu, Gilgit–Baltistan
FormationsOperational capacityNote(s)
Special Service Group-[Navy]
Pakistan Marines
Naval Air Command
SOF teams deployed
SOF teams deployed
No. 28th Squadron
No. 101st Squadron


Classified numbers P-3C Orion are deployed.
Classified numbers of Navy's fighter jets, Mirage-5, are deployed
Civilian and federal rehabilitation programmesMilitary relief programmesInternational efforts
NRB, NDMA, ERRA, SRC, NADRA, NARA FWO, FRC, NLC, MES United States Agency for International Development

Commanders

Joint Field Operations Commanders
PrecedenceRank, namePortraitStart of tenureEnd of tenureArmed Forces Branch
1 Lieutenant-General Ali Jan Aurakzai, PA15 October 200130 March 2004Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg  Pakistan Army
2 Lieutenant-General Mushtak Beg, PA3 June 200417 April 2007Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg  Pakistan Army
3 Lieutenant-General Masood Aslam, PA17 April 200729 April 2010Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg  Pakistan Army
4 Vice-Admiral Shahid Iqbal, PN US Navy 060424-N-9380A-134 Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander Vice Adm. Patrick Walsh and Commander, Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150), Pakistani Rear Adm. Shahid Iqbal speaks to the media.jpg 29 April 201012 August 2010 Naval Jack of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Navy
5 Air Marshal Waseem-ud-Din, PAF7 October 20116 December 2012Air Force Ensign of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan Air Force
6 Vice-Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, PN US Navy 090720-N-8053S-068 French Rear Adm. Alain Hinden, left, shakes hands with Pakistan Navy Rear Adm. Muhammad Zakaullah at the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 change of command ceremony.jpg 6 January 2013Present Naval Jack of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Navy

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References

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