One more stunning succces for the PAK military. Our Navy will truly be the best in West Asia.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/
‘Pak Navy can deter any aggression’
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (0peration) Rear-Admiral M Afzal Tahir has said Pakistan Navy has the wherewithal to stave off any aggression, including the use of nuclear-tipped missiles by the Indian navy. Rear-Admiral Tahir said this when his attention was drawn to the possibilities of use of nuclear missiles, efforts for acquisition nuclear-propelled submarines and possession of a credible platform for the use of nuclear weapons by India.
Nuclear submarines and missiles were actually the second strike capabilities and could not be taken only against the naval forces; but in view of the varied range of these missiles, it could be said that these were mainly against the land forces, he said, while answering questions at a press briefing on the recently-concluded Seaspark-2001 exercise at Maritime Headquarters, PNS Haider, on Wednesday.
He also denied Indian navy’s claim of imposing blockade of Karachi anytime and said that all this was baseless and aimed at gaining political mileage. To a question, he said that Pakistan Navy’s top priority was to get modern frigates, but finance was the major hurdle.
Earlier, in his formal statement, he said that the inception of nuclear weapons had fundamentally changed the dynamics of military equation in the region. “A potential conflict is more likely to be short and intense due to fear of both sides getting to nuclear threshold,” he said. He said that the Indian nuclear doctrine and its ongoing projects that included ATV and installation of cruise missiles on naval platforms were worrisome for Pakistan.
In the nuclear balance of power, where no clear tilt of technological edge existed on either side, the relative geography placed Pakistan in a disadvantageous position, he said, adding that presently the threat primarily emanated from enemy submarines which were capable of striking onshore with medium range missiles, and from Indian aspiration of achieving longer ranges with more precision in future. However, he pointed out that any adverse situation could be handled in one or more ways.
About right course of action for Pakistan, he suggested three ways: (a) deterring enemy from employment of platforms carrying strategic weapons by developing proportionate capability, thus achieving parity, (b) neutralising the platform at sea by employing concerted naval offensive elements, and (c) fortifying area and terminal air defences to knock down the incoming missiles.
He informed the newsmen that Pakistan Navy continued to pursue a discrete professional edge over an otherwise stronger enemy through consistent quest for excellence in naval warfare and operations. The recently-concluded exercise, Seaspark-2001, was a major success as the event enabled us to brush up the PN manpower, sensors and equipment under real-time war situation, he said.
According to Rear-Admiral Afzal Tahir, Pakistan’s maritime compulsions are: (a) critical use of sea routes for essential trade during peacetime and vital supplies during war, (b) to exploit exclusive economic zone covering a 240,000 square kilometres area, due to fast depleting resources on land (c) the limitations imposed by single port complex and the resulting compulsion to provide redundancy, (d) to contend with the overwhelming superior Indian navy, (e) to take notice of the extensive presence of Extra Regional Forces in the Pakistan area of interest in the sea.
The Pakistan Navy, he continued, was proud to maintain a potent submarine wing, with modern and indigenously-constructed Agosta 90-B submarines. “These undoubtedly give us a clear edge over the enemy, while PN’s effective air arm, including state-of-the-art and well-equipped aircraft like P3Cs and Atlantiques,” he said.