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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 0113.PDF
RIGHT International, 16 January 1969 91 Air Marshal Khan displays the same fervour about his air force as did the original leaders of the RAF, with which he likes to draw a comparison. "We are limited in size, so we can only improve in quality," he said in a recent interview at Air HQ. Peshawar. "Our emphasis is therefore on training of the individual, and we are very selective. We have a high wastage rate, but are getting the pilots we want. Some are occasionally taken off flying even after joining a squadron, if they cannot meet the required gunnery standards. But if we can improve our overall proficiency by about 25 per cent, this is virtually as good as doubling our striking power. Our eventual intention is that no squadron pilot should be graded as less than above average." In the PAF, too, above average means a rather higher classi fication than in most other, and considerably bigger, air forces. Compared with the USAF, for example, whose standards the PAF largely adopted in place of its original RAF organisation after it began receiving MAP equipment in 1954-55. a Pakistani pilot is required to score 55-69 per cent in air-to- ground gunnery instead of 37-59 per cent to be graded "above average." The "exceptional" grading is similarly up-rated between 70 and 100 per cent by the PAF. while the USAF accepts 60 per cent and above for this standard. An "average" grading in the PAF means scores of 40-54 per cent (which corresponds approximately to the USAF "above average"), while the American equivalent is gained with 25-36 per cent. Similarly, with air-to-ground rocketry, the PAF requires hits within 25ft of a target to score an "exceptional," compared with 30ft by the USAF. Corresponding standards in the remaining categories are: above average. PAF 26-40ft, USAF 31-45ft; average, PAF 41-57ft. USAF 46-60ft; below average. PAF 58ft and above. USAF 61ft and above. What is more, during the most recent armament competition for PAF fighter •.quadrons, in January 1968. an overall average of 28.1ft in rocket accuracy was achieved, which would result in an "exceptional" overall assessment by international standards. For ground strafing gunnery, the overall average score of 55.8 per cent would qualify for a high "above average" grading. PAF weapon training has been restricted by ammunition su| ply problems following the cessation of US aid. which has oi y recently allowed the resumption of lethal spares procure- m nt; but the 1968 competition results nevertheless showed an improvement of around 20 per cent over the previous year. At ention is now being turned towards corresponding improve- m< nts in air-to-air gunnery, which had been suspended, apart fn m cin6 practice, because of the lack of a suitable target. This is being remedied by the purchase of the supersonic Dart system. When the first Pakistani C-in-C, Air Marshal M. Asghar Khan, took over command of the PAF in 1957 from his RAF predecessors, additional reorganisation followed the initial period of modernisation, which had begun with the receipt of US military aid. In place of its earlier group structure, the PAF was established with a single main Command, assuming some of the characteristics of its present organisation, although war experience in 1965 indicated the desirability of a separate HQ with responsibility for all operational elements under unified control. As currently organised under the Pakistan Ministry of Defence, the PAF allocates to the C-in-C dual functions handled by separate staffs and personnel. Overall direction and control is exercised by the C-in-C from Air HQ. where he is assisted and advised by a Deputy Chief of Air Staff and four Assistant CAS, with the rank of air commodore, respectively in charge of Operations, Maintenance. Training and Adminis tration. The command function, on the other hand, is delegated to HQ Operational Command, which, under AVM S.A. Yusaf, controls all the combat elements of the PAF—fighters, bombers and transports, as well as radar, guns, etc—within two sections, for tactical army support and for air defence. So while maintenance and administrative functions of the operational units are controlled through Air HQ, considerable authority on the flying side is decentralised to the stations to make them as self-sufficient as possible in combat. Major bases have station commanders of air commodore rank, which is commensurate with their authority and is also designed to give them a longer active career between staff jobs. At these bases, the command structure is organised on a three-prong system, following the original RAF pattern, with flying, maintenance and administration wings, each with its own staff officer and OC. Flying wings usually have several squadrons, whose statutory strength in the PAF is 16 aircraft, although in practice the numbers frequently vary from 12 to 25. Squadron commanders are usually of wing commander rank (though occasionally squadron leaders), assisted by two squadron leaders or flight lieutenants as flight commanders, to plan and execute all train ing and operational commitments. Forward bases sometimes have several flying wings on one station, each of which also has a search and rescue flight. The PAF has been using the Kaman HH-43B helicopter, equipped for crash fire-fighting, as its standard SAR equipment, although it now also operates the Sud Alouette 3. For its international SAR commitments, as
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