Pakistan is talking to ‘friendly countries’ to acquire surface-to-air missile technology to counter US drone attacks in the Tribal Areas, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said on Tuesday
Pakistani scientists will develop a sophisticated system to hit highflying spy planes within a year, Federal Defence Production Minister Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi said on Tuesday
Pakistan Air Force is fully capable of stopping missile strikes by pilotless US drones but it is up to the government to decide whether to do that, the air force chief said on Tuesday
Can anyone tell me what is happening in Pakistan … do they have the capability … or are they trying to acquire it … or is it just lack of political will
But since you insist, here’s what the PAF Air Chief Marshall had to say:
KARACHI: Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed said on Tuesday that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is fully capable to stop drones’ flights and missile strikes.
He said that it was up to the government to decide whether it wanted to benefit from PAF capabilities and deter the aggressors violating territorial integrity of the country.
Air Chief Marshal made these remarks while speaking to newsmen during IDEAS-2008 exhibition at the Expo Center here.
Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed said that most of the fighter jets of PAF would complete their life span over the next few years after which JF-17 fighter jets (co-developed by China) would be phased in to replace the aging fleet.
“The fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force are fully capable to carry all types of warheads, Air Chief added.
WE have the ability to stop these drones.. All we need is Yes from the Public and from Government and than wait and see how Paksitan Air Force destroy them.....
WE have the ability to stop these drones.. All we need is Yes from the Public and from Government and than wait and see how Paksitan Air Force destroy them.....
" WE" needs to get his act together ........ his country is being attacked and he is asking for permmision to defend it !!!!!!!! Hiding behind politicans is an old trick used by Pakistani forces .......
" WE" needs to get his act together ........ his country is being attacked and he is asking for permmision to defend it !!!!!!!!
That's actually represents the system working correctly. The defence forces of a nation are not supposed to act independently of instruction from the government, particularly when it involves engaging the armed forces of another country.
Increasingly from media reports, it seems the Pakistani government is tacitly allowing the drone raids to go ahead. Perhaps it thinks that the Americans are doing its dirty work for it.
That's actually represents the system working correctly. The defence forces of a nation are not supposed to act independently of instruction from the government, particularly when it involves engaging the armed forces of another country.
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Well i doubt if the system is working ...... otherwise the chief of air force "would" have been aware of the government policies
Or maybe in Pakistan they dont share information ...... it seems the defence minister is looking for missiles to bring down these drones while the air force chief says he has the capability but not the orders !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dah
Well i doubt if the system is working ...... otherwise the chief of air force "would" have been aware of the government policies
Or maybe in Pakistan they dont share information ...... it seems the defence minister is looking for missiles to bring down these drones while the air force chief says he has the capability but not the orders !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dah
Military commanders make statements like these to try and influence government policies through public opinion. It pushes the edge of the envelope. Even in Britain serving generals often make statements about what they perceive as policy failures in Iraq and Afghanistan to try and change those policies.
The two statements on capabilities are interesting. On the one hand you have the government minister stating that pakistan needs the missiles. On the other hand, you have the Air commander saying that the capability already exists.
Given that the PAF has shot down Israeli-made Indian drones before with just cannon fire, I'm more inclined to believe the air commander.
The defence minister seems to want to come up with excuses (such as lack of missile) for why the government is not giving the attack order, to hide the government's collusion.
If the government believes that it can get the US to do its dirty work, and the PAF disagrees that this is a good idea... then this type of exchange is pretty much what you'd get.