Pakistan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

timepass said:

Pakistanis To Donald Trump: Here’s A Cheque For That $33 Billion In Aid
January 5, 2018 4:15 pm by

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U.S. President Donald Trump

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most types of security aid to Pakistan on Thursday, complaining that the U.S. has given Islamabad $33 billion in aid toward the war against terror since 2002. Now Pakistanis are uniting to send a message right back at Trump by posting images of cheques made out to Trump for that $33 billion in aid.

In other words, it looks like Pakistanis are telling Donald Trump, “Here, you can have your money back.”

Donald Trump cuts aid to Pakistan
Trump claims that

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has given nothing but “lies and deceit” in exchange for the aid while Islamabad allegedly provides “safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.” He wants to see Islamabad take “decisive action” against the Taliban in Afghanistan, reports ABC. A Trump administration official reportedly said there’s nearly $2 billion in aid at risk.

Of the at-risk funds, $1 billion comes in the form of planned military assistance, while another $900 million is in Coalition Support Funds, which are meant to pay reimburse Islamabad for its counterterrorism operations. According to ABC, the administration official said that the U.S. isn’t shifting those funds elsewhere, so Pakistan could change course and still get the funds.

Although Trump’s move seems drastic, it’s a continuation of a policy that was started during the Obama administration.

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peaked in 2007 at$3.5 billion, according to The Los Angeles Times, but the Obama administration slashed it to approximately $1 billion annually over frustration with the situation in Afghanistan.

Pakistanis send Donald Trump messages
However, one thing that makes the current administration’s treatment of Pakistan different than the Obama administration’s treatment has to do with President Donald Trump’s use of social media. He uses Twitter frequently to sound off on various topics, sometimes in what can seem to some like a petulant manner. Such use of social media makes it easy for anyone in the world to troll the U.S. president, or to simply let him know how angry they are with something he said or did.

President Donald Trump’s

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is well-known around the world, so Pakistanis used the social network he seems to like the most against him by posting images of cheques made out to him for $33 billion, as if to send a message that he can have that $33 billion in aid he complained about back.

In addition to the images of the cheques posted on social media, Pakistanis also burned images of Donald Trump and the U.S. flag in Lahore on Friday to protest U.S. aid cuts. Demonstrators also waved images of the U.S. president and flag with red X’s across them during the rally.

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Ouch! That hurts the Dotard in Chief feelings! Watch out for his wrath with his all mighty tweeting!

timepass said:

>> Pakistan is ditching the dollar and cozying up to China after Trump's tweet criticizing Islamabad. The US president accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists and has blocked $255 million in aid. Is China planning to increase its influence in the region after deteriorating US-Pakistani relations?

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=780380615465768

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Interesting choice of words at the end: China is taking over Pakistan
Produced by Indians?

Pakistan May Block Supply Path US Troops Use to Reach Afghanistan





MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Pakistani authorities are considering the option of blocking supplies of US troops deployed in Afghanistan through its territory amid the diplomatic tensions between Islamabad and Washington, media reported Monday.

On January 1, US President accused Islamabad of providing "safe haven to the terrorists" despite multibillion US assistance to . On Thursday, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the was suspending the delivery of military equipment and security aid to Pakistan. According to the spokeswoman, such a measure was a response to the local authorities’ insufficient measures in the fight against terrorist groups.

Pakistani The Nation media outlet reported, citing senior officials from the nation's foreign ministry, that was discussing the move, however the decision has not been made yet.



The newspaper added that the move could be used in response to the diplomatic steps taken by the United States.

The United States has been in Afghanistan for almost 17 years following the September 11, 2001 attacks in Washington and New York. US troops in Afghanistan are being supplied with food and military equipment by the routes from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

NIGERIA BUDGETS ADDITIONAL PAYMENT FOR JF-17 ORDER FROM PAKISTAN



In its for 2018, Nigeria has allocated NGN 13.12 billion ($36 million U.S.) as a payment for an order for three JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighters – along with support equipment and spare parts – from Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).

This follows an in 2016 worth NGN 5 billion ($13.9 m U.S.).

Nigeria’s budget proposal confirms that the Nigerian Air Force’s order for three JF-17s is still in place, but it is being executed through installments paid in cash. The Nigerian Air Force, PAC and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) have yet to release a timeline for deliveries.

In its budget proposal for 2017, Nigeria had earmarked $68.76 million U.S. for platforms for “counter air, counter surface, air ops for strategic effect and air support operations.”

It appears that the JF-17 is sharing the allocation with the Russian Helicopters Mi-35M, for which Nigeria and has 10 on order (with delivery ), and potentially 12 A-29 Super Tucano turboprop-powered close air support (CAS) and light-strike aircraft.

In August 2017, the U.S. State Department greenlit a proposal worth $593 million U.S. to sell A-29 Super Tucanos to Nigeria. In December 2017, the U.S. a letter-of-acceptance (LOA) to the Nigerian Air Force to finalize the purchase and issue initial payments by February 2018.

In July 2017, the Nigerian Air Force started taking delivery of the Super Mushshak trainers it ordered from PAC in 2016. PAC five new-built aircraft, replacing the interim aircraft it had lent in December 2016. Nigeria has a total of 10 Super Mushshak on order.

On the surface, it would seem as though the JF-17 is factoring as a lower priority on the Nigerian Air Force’s procurement roadmap, certainly in comparison to the A-29 (which is to have a launch order of 12 planes).

However, defence analyst, historian, writer and retired Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officer told Quwa that he believes there is a strong rationale for the small launch order:

“Nigerian Air Force has taken an incremental approach to the induction of the JF-17. Considering the fact that it does not operate an advanced modern fighter other than a dozen F-7NI (a variant of F-7MG), it seems sensible to have ordered three-odd JF-17, on which maintenance crews would get trained, followed by pilots that will form the core and be available for follow-on inductions.

Tufail added that incremental purchasing also makes fiscal sense, “Financially, it also makes sense to stagger the purchase so that it can be funded from within own resources, rather than overburdening the economy by taking loans.” In addition, by committing a few Block-IIs for a start for primarily acclimation, Tufail stated that Nigeria can stage the bulk of its future procurement for the forthcoming JF-17 Block-III:

“From an operational standpoint, a small purchase of the existing Block-II aircraft leaves open the option of inducting Block-III, which is likely to be available in about two years or so. During this time the NAF would have set up the basic infrastructure and trained sufficient pilots to induct the more advanced version of the JF-17.”

Finally, with PAC mostly focused on fulfilling the requirements of the PAF (i.e. fulfilling the PAF’s objective of supplanting a 190 aircraft by 2020), a small export order is sustainable:

“While the NAF may not be ready to induct the JF-17 en masse for the above-stated reasons, PAC Kamra is also constrained by its production capacity, as it has to cater for the PAF which needs to replace its older fleet of Mirage III/5 and F-7 at the rate of one squadron per year. Apparently, the small initial order suits PAC quite well, since the export orders have finally started, and more countries in Asia and Africa are likely to take the cue from NAF.”

Nigeria will join Myanmar as the second third-party user of the FC-1/JF-17 platform. Myanmar signed its order for 16 FC-1 during the 2015 Paris Air Show. Myanmar’s first FC-1 was undergoing flight tests in China in June 2017.

POSSIBLE MALE UAV CONCEPTS AT PAKISTAN’S AVIATION DESIGN INSTITUTE


Mock-up of an unmanned aerial vehicle design at the Aviation Design Institute (AvDI)

In a promotional video for the breaking-ground event for Air University’s Aerospace and Aviation Campus in Kamra, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) revealed design concepts of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designs made by the Aviation Design Institute (AvDI) which may be related to “Project Azm.”

Under Project Azm, AvDI – which is part of PAC – was tasked by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to design and develop a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV.

While preliminary and tentative, AvDI’s mock-ups broadly mirrored the MALE UAVs being produced in China and Turkey, such as the Wing Loong as well as CH-4 and the Anka, respectively. However, technical specifics such as prospective powerplant, payload, hardpoints and weaponization were not disclosed.

In December 2017, the PAF CAS stated that the AvDI MALE UAV will materialize in 18 months.

The PAF Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sohail Aman Project Azm in July 2017 in the inauguration event of the Kamra Aviation City complex, which is envisaged as the home of PAC, AvDI, Air University and other state-owned and potentially private sector aviation companies.

Recently, analysts belonging to the , New York identified a Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) Wing Loong UAV stationed at PAF M.M. Alam in Mianwali by using commercial satellite imagery. It appears that the Wing Loong arrived to Mianwali in late November 2017.



Currently, it appears that Pakistan is continuing its tests of the Wing Loong, having flown it through 2016 under “” CAIG is also the improved Wing Loong II, which has a payload of 400 kg, top speed of 370 km/h, service ceiling of 30,000 ft and endurance of 32 hours. The Chinese press claim that the Wing Loong II secured its launch export orders before its flight, but it is unknown who has the drones on order, though it is said to be the largest overseas sale of Chinese drones to-date.

Notes & Comments:

The PAF’s UAV attack UAV is the Burraq, produced by the National Engineering and Scientific Commission. It can carry up two laser-guided air-to-ground missiles. Thus far, it appears that the PAF has been using the Burraq for time-sensitive and/or targeted strikes as part of its counterinsurgency (COIN) and counter-terrorism (CT) operations. The PAF has been using the Leonardo Falco and General Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS) Shahpar for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in its COIN/CT operations.

Pakistan began inducting the Falco in 2009 under a co-production agreement involving PAC and Leonardo. The Falco has a payload of 25 kg available for electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) turrets. The Falco was later joined by the Shahpar, which has a payload of 50 kg and endurance of seven hours.

The introduction of MALE UAVs – be it the Wing Loong-series or a potentially original design by PAC and AvDI – would provide the PAF with increased attack capabilities and ISR coverages through the use of its drones. It could also spur the introduction of using heavier munitions, such as 100 kg precision-guided bombs, from drones. This would extend the use of these aircraft from time-sensitive strikes and targeted attacks against individuals to close air support (CAS)-level missions in COIN/CT, such as attacking moving vehicles and neutralizing enemy firing positions. In terms of ISR, the PAF can equip these new drones with synthetic aperture radars for real-time image intelligence and use ground-moving target-indication for target acquisition – this information could be provided to other airborne and/or land units via data-link. Pakistan can leverage the endurance of a MALE UAV to sustain a ISR coverage unit for a longer time period.

Video with the above screen-captures and other information regarding the Kamra Aviation City complex:

Pakistan joins trillion-dollar economies club as its gross domestic product (GDP) based on purchasing-power-parity (PPP) just crossed $1 trillion. By PPP ranking, Pakistan is now 25th largest economy in the world.

According to World Data Atlas, Pakistan’s GDP PPP in 2017 is $1,060 billion, with an year-on-year growth of 7.32%. This is the highest-ever increase in a decade.

Over the last 20 years, GDP based on PPP of Pakistan grew substantially from $313.7 billion in 1997 to $1,060.75 billion in international dollars rising at an increasing annual rate that reached 7.32% in 2017, according to World Data Atlas’s new ranking.

According to economists, GDP purchasing-power-parity compares different countries’ currencies through a market ‘basket of goods’ approach. Two currencies are in PPP when a market basket of goods (taking into account the exchange rate) is priced the same in both countries. For example, what goods 10 dollars can buy in the US, in the UK, or in Pakistan? Or, how much does a McDonald’s burger cost in the US versus its price in Pakistan?

Comparable developed countries rank higher in GDP Nominal while comparable developing countries rank higher in GDP PPP because prices of goods are cheaper in developing countries as US dollar can buy more in China than in the US.

Pakistan army chief: US general called, offered assurances...

Head of U.S. Central Command Gen. Joseph Votel spoke by phone with Pakistan's army chief offering assurances that the United States will not unilaterally strike targets inside Pakistan, a spokesman for Pakistan's military said on Friday.

In a statement, spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor said that Votel in his call to Gen. Qamer Javed Bajwa reiterated Washington's concern about Afghans using Pakistan as a staging ground for attacks inside

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.

Ghafoor did not state exactly when the conversation took place, saying the call was made to Bajwa earlier this week.

The dialogue comes a week after the U.S announced its suspension of security assistance to Pakistan for failing to take "decisive action" against

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militants targeting U.S. personnel in neighboring Afghanistan.

The announcement followed President Donald Trump's surprising New Year's day tweet, in which he said Washington had "foolishly" given Pakistan $33 billion in aid over the past 15 years and in return received "deceit and lies."

According to Friday's statement, Bajwa told Votel that Pakistan would not request the resumption of military aid from the U.S.

It said both generals spoke of the need for continued cooperation in the

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.

The statement added that Bajwa told Votel that "the entire Pakistani nation" felt betrayed by the recent U.S. statements despite decades of cooperation.

It said Bajwa, however, assured Votel that Pakistan would continue its counter-terrorism efforts even without U.S. financial support in accordance with the Islamic nation's security interests. It added that Bajwa told Votel Pakistan was fully aware of the U.S. concerns regarding activities of Afghan nationals in Pakistan and is already undertaking several operations against militants.

It said Bajwa assured Votel that Pakistan will keep supporting all initiatives for peace in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has been a key ally of the United States in war on terror since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S., but relations have been strained between the two sides since Trump accused Islamabad of harboring terrorists.

Pakistan responded to Trump's accusations by convening a National Security Committee meeting, which was attended by Pakistan's prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Bajwa. The committee at the time said that the U.S. was scapegoating Pakistan for its own failure to bring peace to Afghanistan after 16 years of war.

Washington has long accused Islamabad of harboring militants, a charge Pakistan's government and military routinely deny.

Pakistan army chief says nation felt 'betrayed' at U.S. criticism...

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan’s army chief told a top U.S. general the nation “felt betrayed” at criticism that it was not doing enough to fight terrorism, the military said on Friday, after U.S. President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of “lies and deceit”.

U.S. Central Command chief General Joseph Votel told General Qamar Javed Bajwa during a telephone call this week that the United States was not contemplating any unilateral action inside Pakistan, the Pakistani army said in a statement.

Tension between the United States and Pakistan has grown over U.S. complaints that the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that target American troops in Afghanistan are allowed to take shelter on Pakistani soil.

Trump’s administration last week announced the suspension of about $2 billion in security aid to nuclear-armed Pakistan - officially a U.S. ally - over accusations Islamabad is playing a double game in Afghanistan.


Islamabad denies this and accuses the United States of disrespecting its vast sacrifices - casualties have numbered in the tens of thousands - in fighting terrorism.

The U.S. aid suspension was announced days after Trump tweeted on Jan. 1 that the United States had foolishly given Pakistan $33 billion in aid over 15 years and was rewarded with “nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools”.

It is not clear what prompted Trump’s tweet, which infuriated Pakistani officials and caught the rest of the U.S. administration off guard.

The Pakistani statement on Friday did not directly refer to Trump’s tweet.

“(Bajwa) said that entire Pakistani nation felt betrayed over U.S. recent statements despite decades of cooperation,” the army said, referring to the phone call between Bajwa and Votel.

The Pakistani assertion that Votel said no unilateral action inside Pakistan was being considered may have referred to the possibility of cross-border U.S. drone strikes and other military missions targeting Taliban and other militant figures outside the border area.

In 2016, a U.S. drone killed the then-leader of the Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, prompting protests from Islamabad of a violation of sovereignty.


And in 2011, a secret American raid in the military garrison city of Abbottabad killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the architect of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on American cities that prompted the U.S.-led invasion to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Since Trump took office, there have been several drone strikes in Pakistan’s border region but they have not so far gone deeper into Pakistani territory, though Islamabad believes that is on a menu of punitive actions the U.S. administration is considering.

However, the U.S. military is also concerned that the Pakistani army, which effectively runs foreign policy, might close the air and land corridors on which U.S.-led troops and Afghan forces in landlocked Afghanistan depend for supplies. So far, Pakistan has not done so.

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timepass said:

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Pakistan Army Ranger units?