PAF assets moved to eastern border, says Mushaf
By Naveed Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has moved air force assets, according to its operational requirements in the evolving situation, to the eastern border, said Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir on Saturday.
Talking to journalists, after opening a day-long seminar on 'Role of Air Power in the 21st Century' at the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS), Mushaf said that there is some military build-up and preparations across the eastern border. "We are fully aware of the situation and the commanders have been undertaking series of brain storming sessions to streamline strategies to effectively counter any misadventure from across the border," said the air chief.
He said the country's armed forces are fully prepared to give a matching response to any aggressor. He noted if India has 800 aircraft, Pakistan too possesses 350 combat-ready jets "which can outnumber them".
To a question, Mushaf said PAF during the period of sanctions from the west had completed its homework with regard to its upgrading and after lifting of these, "we have open options and will go for the best but our prime job is to put the house in order first". However, he specifically mentioned China, France, South Africa and the UK as the potential markets Pakistan would like to explore. He said: "We can even buy military hardware (air force) from Russia."
To a question if the president would ink some new defence deals with China during his current visit, the air chief ruled out the possibility, saying there are already many deals signed between the two countries.
He referred to the 10 Chinese-made F7-PG aircraft, which would reach Pakistan within next week with a similar number already in the country. The remaining 20 jets would also be handed over to Pakistan in a couple of months, Mushaf said.
At the same time, the air chief noted, work on Super-7 aircraft project is very much intact and if all went well its prototype would be rolled out according to schedule by June 2003 while its regular production is expected to start in 2004-05.
The air chief laid much stress on the need for a resilient economy. "Re-strengthening the economic front is the first priority while the defence sector is also on prime agenda for our government," he remarked.
He dispelled the impression that the air defence was being given less importance. He said that just before the September 11 incidents the government had released a special grant of $500 million to the PAF to help meet its needs.
Mushaf also underscored the need to maintain "credible deterrent forces both in conventional and nuclear domains to counter any military misadventure" by the eastern neighbour.
He said the efficacy of air power during the Gulf War, Kosovo and Afghanistan has not been lost on them. Besides acquisition of modern combat planes, they are investing heavily in developing their space-based capability, he added. He said: "We all understand that financial constraints will always remain the major obstacle for nations in our region vying to establish and maintain a credible air power capability."
Mushaf said air power would always be the tool of first resort and the ground and surface forces would come in to settle the political issues. The capability of air power is abundantly evident, he noted. The challenge for developing nations is to be able to harness the immense potential of this instrument of warfare within their limited means, the air chief remarked. "Air power has extended its reach into space and in USA and NATO the term 'air power' is being increasingly replaced by 'aerospace power'," he said.
Later speaking at the seminar, ISS Director-General Dr Shireen Mazari said in the South Asian context, the air power would help avoid the expansion of limited military exchanges unlike the past when it was thought that its use would expand a conflict. She said, "The use of air power may keep a conflict limited by precise military targeting and limiting one's ground casualties, especially if no territorial control is sought."
She pointed out that despite the fact that in theory it appears there should be total coordination between the three services, each one still tends to opt for weapon systems in isolation from the other sister organisations.
Shireen believed that given the lack of state-of-the-art planes and constant dependency on spares abroad, land-based missiles would be the immediate mainstay of any nuclear force, with additional nuclear-equipped air and submarine-launched missiles.
Veteran aviator Ikram Sehgal, while speaking on air power and unconventional warfare, said it has gained a new dimension in the times of low intensity conflicts where access by infantrymen is difficult and precision just a dream. He said: "The savagery of unconventional warfare can be very pervasive, even regular forces have resorted to conduct anathema to the Geneva Convention as seen in Qila-e-Jangi with respect to prisoners of war."
Air Chief Marshal (retd) Jamal Ahmed Khan, former chief of the air staff, senior diplomat from Sri Lanka, Brigadier (retd) Sahara Hussain and Colonel Emaduddin Ahmed of Bangladesh, Dr Riffat Hussain, and Air Commodore (retd) Jamal Hussain also spoke on the occasion.
A large number of retired senior air force and army officers, diplomats, former ambassadors of Pakistan and serving officers of Pakistan Air Force attended the seminar. APP adds: All the bases of Pakistan Air Force have been put on high alert, according to Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Personnel), Air Marshal Syed Qaiser Hussain. "In the prevailing circumstances, an Indian attack against Pakistan cannot be ruled and if it indulged in this foolish act, it will encounter a befitting reply from Pakistan," he said.
Air Marshal Qaiser, who is also the senior vice president of Pakistan Squash Federation, was informally replying to journalists' queries at a luncheon he hosted for the junior squash players at PAF Squash Complex.
"The PAF is fully capable of defending every inch of the country and is ready to give a befitting reply to any external aggression," he said. "If India commits aggression, the country's land, air and naval forces are fully prepared to defend the country."
To a question, Qaiser said the PAF's F-6 aircraft had become obsolete and as such are now being replaced with F-7 PG which are modern, computerised and radar-equipped aircraft. "We have grounded two squadrons of F-6 (35 planes) and in their place two squadrons of F-7 PG planes (40 planes) are being commissioned in the PAF fleet," he said.
To another question, Qaiser said though India enjoyed numerical superiority, PAF personnel could still have an upper hand. "The PAF has planes like F-16 and F-7 and its personnel are imbued with a spirit," he said.
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