Aerial Eyes: 3 out of 4 of Pakistan's AWACS Fleet were damaged

[Maharana]

March 21/13: Need a fix.

Saab announces a 5-year, SEK 1.1 billion ($170 million) contract that runs from 2013-2017, and covers "a comprehensive set of spares and support services for a previously delivered system, Saab 2000 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control)." Unfortunately, "The industry's nature is such that depending on circumstances concerning the product and customer, information regarding the customer will not be announced."

The answer seemed obvious. Air forces using Saab turboprop AWACS include Sweden, Thailand and the UAE (Saab 340), and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (stretched Saab 2000 variant). Pakistan's sale is well known and hasn't been secret, so a Saab 2000 AEW&C customer insisting on secrecy must mean"¦ Saudi Arabia.

Except that we might have been wrong. What even the February revelations in Pakistan hadn't disclosed is that the attack on Minhas AB in Pakistan happened with 3 Erieye planes on the ground. One was destroyed – but 2 others were very badly damaged. That leaves Pakistan with a fleet of just 1 plane, until it gets those 2 fixed. That could explain this $170 million contract, with the sudden secrecy invoked because Pakistan doesn't want to publicly admit the extent of the loss; indeed, if Saab doesn't announce a separate SEK 1+ billion support contract soon, the default assumption for this deal must become Pakistan. The problem for Sweden, says Sweden's Dagens Industri in an April 10/13 article, is that the original purchase was funded by a 2006 credit arrangement of SEK 7.4 billion from the Swedish Export Credit and Export Credits Guarantee Board. Now they'll have to add SEK 1+ billion to cover this, all to a country that isn't viewed as a terrific credit risk.

Aerial Eyes: Pakistan’s New AWACS Fleets

 

[A chauhan]

Gareebee me atta geela

 

[sayareakd]

yeah we are aware about this for long time.

 

[sayareakd]

after the attack when they got only one aircraft left to fool their garab uneducated janta this image was circulated to show that all is well

PAF is fake as is all of Pakistani Military and state of Pakistan.

 

[sayareakd]

Tax-payers kept in the dark about loss of plane worth $250m

ISLAMABAD: The February 6 admission by senior officials of the defence ministry that a Saab-2000 aircraft fitted with an Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AWACS) was totally destroyed in the August 15, 2012 terror attack on the Kamra airbase, implies that the concerned authorities had been keeping the tax payers in the dark for the past six months by claiming that it was only the nose cone of the precious aircraft which had been partially damaged and that it would be repaired by the manufacturers in Sweden.

The fact that the Kamra airbase raiders had completely destroyed one of the four Saab-2000 AWACS planes was made public for the first time by Additional Secretary Defence Rear Admiral Farrokh Ahmad during a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defence on February 6, six months after the Minhas airbase at Kamra was attacked by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The meeting was chaired by President Zardari's sister, Azra Fazal Pechuho, as the chairperson of the 18-member Committee. Responding to a question by Ayaz Ameer, one of the Standing Committee members, Rear Admiral Farrokh Ahmad conceded that a Saab-2000 AWACS which was parked at the Minhas airbase was completely destroyed by "miscreants" when the Kamra came under attack.

When asked by Ayaz Ameer to further enlighten the Committee on the issue, Secretary Defence Lt Gen (R) Asif Yaseen Malik admitted that one fourth early warning ability of the PAF was knocked out by the raiders with the ruining of one of the four Swedish-made Saab-2000 planes.

But the secretary defence did not respond to Ayaz's query about the actual loss suffered by the national kitty due to the ruining of Saab-2000 AWACS. As The News asked PAF spokesman Group Captain Tariq Mahmood about the likely price of the Saab-2000, he sought a couple of days to collect the required information. Asked about the price of the Saab-2000 AWACS, a senior PAF official said while requesting anonymity that the perished plane was worth 130-140 million US dollars. But a highly placed defence ministry official differed with the figure, saying that the plane destroyed at Kamra was worth 250 million US dollars.

However, a senior defence ministry official said on the condition of anonymity that the Saab-2000 AWACS destroyed at Kamra was worth $250 million. Ayaz Ameer, a former army captain, estimated the price of Saab-2000 somewhere between 250 and 300 million US dollars.

It was on the night of August 15, 2012 that nine fidayeen attackers dressed in military uniforms and armed with rocket propelled grenades and suicide vests, stormed the Minhas airbase. Minhas remained under attack for two hours and finally culminated in the death of two PAF personnel and all the nine attackers who were successful in their mission of destroying one of the Saab-2000 AWACS planes.

TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out to avenge the killings of Baitullah Mehsud and Osama bin Laden. The fidayeen, Ehsan had declared, succeeded in achieving their targets and had delivered a lethal blow to the PAF. But neither Ehsan explained "the lethal blow" inflicted by TTP nor did the PAF deem it fit to concede the destruction of the Saab 2000 aircraft.

Following the attack, PAF spokesman Tariq Mahmood conceded that at least one of the rockets fired by the attackers hit a hangar holding PAF aircrafts. "The rocket pierced the hangar wall while shrapnel from the blast damaged one of the aircraft parked inside. But I cannot reveal the name of the craft"¦ please wait for the inquiry report", said the spokesman. But the finding of the inquiry, which was ordered by Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt and conducted by Air Marshal Athar Hussain Bukhari, has yet to be made public.

Hours after attack, Defence Minister Naveed Qamar said on August 15, 2012, that the death toll of the militants and the minimal damage caused to the base was clear proof of the preparedness of the Pakistani forces.

Talking to newsmen in Islamabad, Qamar said: "The security of the PAF was alert to retaliate in case of a possible attack and they did. The terrorists had suicide vests clasped around them and were carrying heavy arms. However, with minimum damage caused to the Pakistani assets – with only one plane damaged – the security forces were able to eliminate the terrorists."

Naveed Qamar, however, did not mention the fact that the plane destroyed at Kamra was a Saab 2000 worth $240 million.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik was next to claim on August 17, 2012 that due to the advance warnings about a possible attack on the PAF installations, the attempt to harm the Pakistani assets at Kamra was foiled and all the attackers were killed. Kamra is one of the most important airbases of PAF which also hosts the 33 multi-role fighter wing of the PAF, one squadron of JF-17 and one squadron of FT-6 trainers. It was in October 2005 that the Pakistan government had struck a deal to purchase five Saab-2000 planes.

The first of these was delivered to the PAF on December 29, 2009, and the second one in April 2011, which was followed by two others. And the prime aim of the TTP fidayeen was to locate and destroy one such valuable plane which was parked at Minhas airbase.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-159025-Tax-payers-kept-in-the-dark-about-loss-of-plane-worth-$250m

 

[sayareakd]

Kamara base commander true to its great tradition of PAF cooked up story

here it is

Base Commander Minhas Base Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, who himself led the operation, received a bullet in his right shoulder.

He received three bullets in his arm and shoulder but continued to fight. He was than driven to the PAC hospital where he just stayed for the time that the bullets were removed from his body and then he returned to the battle ground and lead the operation to its successful completion.

his command was taken from him, he was suspended and send home

So much so for courageous PAF, in PAF it is great tradition

 

[Blackwater]

more news awaited from @ farhaan.pls shed some light on this issue

 

[DivineHeretic]

Pakistan is effectively reduced to one SAAB for the time being, at least.

And moreover, the actual count of the SAABs in pakistan is itself doubtful, at best. Some reports suggest that the Pakistanis indeed ordered 5, but couldn't afford the last. Another insider says that there are indeed 5, but one is only for training purposes. While yet another actually says that there are only four SAABs in pak, with one for training only. There is a lot more hidden than shown.

 

[farhan_9909]

only one was damaged and last month officially reported as well

the last Saab 2000 we got for different purpose will be modified to mount the erieye on.

Paf already has recieved 3 ZKD-03 and 4th one will be recieved this year

 

[JBH22]

only one was damaged and last month officially reported as well

the last Saab 2000 we got for different purpose will be modified to mount the erieye on.

Paf already has recieved 3 ZKD-03 and 4th one will be recieved this year

What about the destroyed P-3 USA was going to give then no news?

 

[farhan_9909]

What about the destroyed P-3 USA was going to give then no news?

replaced or to be replaced by chacha amreeka funds

 

[farhan_9909]

What about the destroyed P-3 USA was going to give then no news?

replaced or to be replaced by chacha amreeka funds

 

[JBH22]

replaced or to be replaced by chacha amreeka funds

To be replaced?

What happened any new hardware to be "sold" to Pakistan by Chachu Amrika

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Only damaged,incomplete or used equipment is donated to Pakistan by Chachu USA.
And that is after extracting a pound of flesh. In the 33 years since Reagen donated F-16's
to Pak only 16 are operable and the new F-16's by Bush donation 13 years ago only 4
have been delivered. So Pakistan has no choice but to turn to Chinese third rate junk and
pass it of as defense equipment.

 

[farhan_9909]

To be replaced?

What happened any new hardware to be "sold" to Pakistan by Chachu Amrika

indeed and it seem like 1 is already recieved last year

US to replace two P-3C Orion planes of Pakistan Navy: report - Hindustan Times

in close future expect paf to order 14 more f-16,

 

[farhan_9909]

To be replaced?

What happened any new hardware to be "sold" to Pakistan by Chachu Amrika

indeed and it seem like 1 is already recieved last year

US to replace two P-3C Orion planes of Pakistan Navy: report - Hindustan Times

in close future expect paf to order 14 more f-16,

 

[LETHALFORCE]

There is no news of any more F-16 shipments to Pakistan??

For Lockheed's F-16 fighter, still buyers after all these years | Reuters

Texas plant is closing.

 

[Maharana]

only one was damaged and last month officially reported as well

the last Saab 2000 we got for different purpose will be modified to mount the erieye on.

Paf already has recieved 3 ZKD-03 and 4th one will be recieved this year

Pakistani responses on -

Kargil? We are not doing it.

Osama? Nope, not here.

Kashmir Insurgency? Mujahids, not us.

26/11? Not our boys.

Who else knows better that how Pakistan is used to admitting the truth other than India..
This might help.. volume is low so turn it full

 

[sayareakd]

Chines AWACs are useless that is why PAF has order Aerial Eyes AWACs, if that is not the case then PAF would have order more Chines AWACS

you guys can get Chines AWACs for almost free but you have chosen to pay $170 million speaks for itself quality of Chini AWACs

 

[Blackwater]

Chines AWACs are useless that is why PAF has order Aerial Eyes AWACs, if that is not the case then PAF would have order more Chines AWACS

you guys can get Chines AWACs for almost free but you have chosen to pay $170 million speaks for itself quality of Chini AWACs

i dont think so pakis can pay that much also