Pakistan Army Aviation Corps

Originally formed by British Army Air Corps in 1942, the entire unit was transferred to Pakistan in 1947.[1] The officers and personnel were part of the Air Observation Post who were deployed in support of Punjab Boundary Force. Later the entire group was stationed at Chaklala Air Force Base before the partition of India.[1]

Initially part of Pakistan Air Force, the Corps was split into the new service and became part of Pakistan Army in 1958.[2] The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering started to maintain the aircraft and helicopters given by the United States Army Aviation Branch, opening its own aviation school in 1959.[3]

Since the 1960s, the corps expanded in momentum, manpower, and its operational scope has widened.[3] By the 1970s, the Corps became a fighting air component of the Pakistan Army, with its attack helicopters becoming the backbone of military operations.[3] The Corps has become an integral part of Pakistan Army's every imitated operations, and came to public and international notice in the 1970s after initiating, and successfully quelling, the serious civil war in Balochistan.[2]

It is also a most decorated Corps of Pakistan Army, with more national citations and awards conferred and bestowed to this Corps than any combatant corps of Pakistan Army. Although it came into existence in 1947, the corps was given a full commission in 1977.[2]

As for its war capabilities, the Corps has a long history; participating in every conflict and war with India, they also led and flew bombing and combat missions in the Afghanistan war, Somalian War, Sierra Leone war, Mozambique war, Sri Lankan war Bosnian war, and recently, the War in North-West Pakistan. The corps has actively participated in Siachin Conflict, Kargil Conflict and War on Terror. The daring pilots of Pakistan Army Aviation have conducted some of the most historic and difficult missions in Aviation history, in pursuit of which some of them laid down their lives. They are known for their professionalism for high altitude flying, combat, assault and rescue missions.[1]

The Corps also initiated the non-combatant operations in 2005, when it led a massive airlift and re-location mission after the Kashmir earthquake.[2] In 1991, the Corps was stationed in Bangladesh, where they completed its non-combat mission after the country was hit with a cyclone.[2] Since its inception, the Corps has become a significant combatant arm of the Pakistan Army, poised for a definite and critical role be it peace or war.[1]

Pakistan Army operates various kind of helicopters alongside several fixed-wing aircraft.

3 CAIC Z-10 attack helicopters of China were delivered for trial use so that orders could be made in the future. However, as of 2018, no orders have been made further, this could mean that these 3 helicopters were returned with no follow-up order.

Pakistan Army again showing interests in Chinese all-weather, multirole CAIC Z-10ME which is the advanced & upgraded variant if Turkey and the United States fail to deliver on their orders of the T-129 and AH-1Z respectively.[4]

Aircraft/System	Photo	Role	Variant	Quantity	Note	Service period
Helicopters
Bell AH-1 Cobra		Attack	AH-1F	48[5]	Modernized & upgraded.	1985–present
Bell AH-1Z Viper		Attack		2	10 on order[5]
TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK		Attack	T-129B	0	Initially 30 on order,[5] worth $1.5 billion.
Mil Mi-24/35		Attack	Mi-35M	4[5]	5 on order,[6] total ~16 planned.
Mil Mi-17		Tactical transport	Mi-171	48[5]		1996–present
Aérospatiale/IAR SA 330 Puma		Utility / transport	330L	45[5]		1977–present 1
Bell 412		Utility	412EP	35[5]	Used as multi-missions	2004–present 1
AgustaWestland AW139		SAR / utility		8[5]		2017–present 20
Airbus H125M / Eurocopter AS550 Fennec		Anti-armor / light utility	AS550 C3	31[5]
Airbus H125 / Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil		Light utility	AS350 B3	23[7][8][9]		2005–present
Bell 206 JetRanger		Light utility	206B	18[5]		1975–present
Enstrom F-28		Training	280FX	19[5]
Schweizer 300		Training	300C	15[5]		1993–present
Bell UH-1 Huey		Utility	UH-1H	1[5]		1974–present
Aérospatiale Alouette III		Light utility	SA 316B	13[5]		1967–present
Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama		Light utility		18[5]	Mainly Operated by army in Siachen Glacier.	1986–present
Fixed-wing Aircraft
Beechcraft Super King Air 350i		SIGINT & ISR		3[5]	for reconnaissance	7
Beechcraft Super King Air 350		Utility	350ER	6[5]
Harbin Y-12		Utility	Y-12(II)/F	4[5]		1999–present
Cessna 208 Caravan		Utility	208B	7[5]	Also used as MEDEVAC
Turbo Commander		Utility	690C	2[5]
Cessna 206		MEDEVAC	T206H	4[10]
Gulfstream IV		VIP transport	G450	1[11]
Bombardier Challenger 600		VIP transport	CL-605	1[5]
Cessna Citation V		VIP transport	Citation Ultra	1[12]
Cessna Citation II		VIP transport	Citation Bravo	1[5]

• Auster 5 1947-1957
• Auster AOP.6 1947-1957
• Cessna O-1 Bird Dog 1957-1990
• Beechcraft U-8F Seminole 1963-1983
• Bell Model 47 1964-1990
• Bell OH-13 Sioux 1964-1990
• Mil Mi-8 1969-1998

• Pakistan Air Force
• Pakistan Naval Air Arm

• ISPR. "History of Pakistan Army Aviation". Retrieved 21 December 2011.