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Pakistan Aeronautical Complex was key to repairing Saab Erieye AEW&Cs
Speaking to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the Chairman of the Pakistani Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence, Lt. Gen Abdul Qayyum (retd) stated that Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) was central to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)’s efforts to restoring its Saab 2000-based Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) fleet. According to the Lt. Gen (retd) Qayyum, PAC had repaired two Erieye AEW&C.
Notes & Comments:
Pakistan ordered four Saab 2000-based Erieye AEW&C from Sweden in 2006. It had initially planned to acquire six, but the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir prompted Air Headquarters (AHQ) to reduce the order to four. To augment the Erieye, the PAF also procured four Y-8F600-based ZDK03 – designated Karakoram Eagle – AEW&C from China.
In August 2012, nine assailants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had infiltrated and attacked PAF Minhas, the air base which was housing the PAF’s newly acquired Erieye AEW&C fleet at the time. Of the three units stationed on that day, two were damaged and one had been written-off (i.e. destroyed). In effect, the PAF had one active Erieye AEW&C.
In September 2015, Pakistan announced – and flew – a repaired Erieye unit, and the Senate Defence Committee Chairman’s recent statements fully indicate that the PAF now has three active Erieye units. The PAF has yet to officially confirm if it is in the process of replacing the written-off unit.
8 Comments
by Catalyst
It is evidently clear that it wasn’t TTP that benefited from the damaging or destroying these systems. It was the state behind TTP that benefited.
by Muhammad Atif Sheikh
This is the standard of PAC proud of the repair team! Kudos to PAC
by Steve
I agree. We should openly say that India was behind it. I am also unhappy with PAF for keeping all assets in one place and poorly guarded, even after the Orion fiasco in Karachi. It’s obvious our sworn enemy is out to destroy our force multipliers and has found Afghanistan as a reliable ally in funding and manipulating terrorists like TTP to attack Pakistan in vital areas. The 4th unit needs to be replaced asap. And for God’s sake guard them well! We have men with guns, have we not? Invest in physical barriers too. And don’t say it also happened in Camp Bastion so it’s ok to slip up now and then.
by jamshed_kharian_pak
Some Criminla Business groups in Ir Pakistan are very eager to join hands with Nawaz-Modi Mafia But with the help of Allah swt the great, this mafia’s military wing has been destroyed, work is ON to destroy the criminal political system in force
by John Rue
I have yet to see 3 PAF SAAB airborne at the same time. I keep on hearing this news but always see a single one flying.
by Syed
Why would you fly 3 together,ideally they should be 300 miles from each other and that would cover the length and breadth of Pakistan
by Omar Dar
He has a valid point. Flying three together at the same time will confirm this.
by Bilal Khan - Quwa
The P-3s belong to the Navy and the AEW&C to the Air Force – so we are talking about two distinct organizations. The actions of one doesn’t necessarily affect the decision of the other. Second, the PAF only flew a single KE at 23 March, doesn’t mean it only has one operational KE. Third, one of the repaired Erieye was shown as part of Dunya News’ coverage of the PAF.