Pakistan Naval Station Siddique, known as PNS Siddique ( ur, ) formerly known as Naval Air Station, Turbat,
is a
naval air station and a military airport located in
Turbat city of
Makran
Makran ( fa, مكران), mentioned in some sources as Mecran and Mokrān, is the coastal region of Baluchistan. It is a semi-desert coastal strip in Balochistan, in Pakistan and Iran, along the coast of the Gulf of Oman. It extends westwards, ...
,
Balochistan
Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
.
It is one of four active
Naval Air Arm bases (others are
PNS Mehran,
PNS Makran,
Naval Air Station Ormara) and currently the second largest naval air station after
PNS Mehran.
History
Turbat
Turbat is the second-largest city in Balochistan after Quetta and 38th largest city of Pakistan. It is the largest city in the southern part of the province.
Education
University:
University of TurbatBalochistan University of Engineering & ...
, a small town with a population of less than 200,000, boasts an international airport (IATA code: TUK) offering flights to Muscat, Sharjah, Karachi, Gwadar, and
Dalbandian. Situated approximately 90 km NNW of
Pasni and 117 km NE of Gwadar, Turbat enjoys road connections to
Panjgur,
Kalat,
Pasni, and Karachi, but lacks rail infrastructure.
On 3 September 2014, Pakistan's Naval Chief Admiral
Mohammad Asif Sandila commissioned PNS Siddique, a new naval air base in Turbat, southern Balochistan. This marked a further step in the
Pakistan Navy's (PN) strategic relocation of assets away from the congested city of
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
, a process that commenced following the Indian Navy's attack and containment of PN units in Karachi during the
1971 war
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the
Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decemb ...
.
Current operations
PNS Siddiq boasts a modern runway capable of accommodating large aircraft, enabling the Pakistan Navy (PN) to operate maritime patrol aircraft (MPAs) like the Lockheed Martin
P-3C Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop Anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed Corporation, Lockh ...
from this strategically located base in
Turbat
Turbat is the second-largest city in Balochistan after Quetta and 38th largest city of Pakistan. It is the largest city in the southern part of the province.
Education
University:
University of TurbatBalochistan University of Engineering & ...
.
This move signifies a shift in PN's operational strategy, diversifying its assets beyond the previously heavily reliant
PNS Mehran, which tragically suffered an insurgent attack in 2011, resulting in the
loss of two P-3C Orion MPAs.
See also
*
Pakistan Naval Air Arm
*
PNS Makran
*
PNS Mehran
References
Pakistan Naval Air Stations
Military installations in Balochistan, Pakistan
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