ur, اور اللہ کی رسی مضبوط تھام لو سب مل کر اور آپس میں پھٹ نہ جانا (فرقوں میں نہ بٹ جانا) "And hold fast to the rope of Allah, all of you together, and do not be divided;" (''

Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...

, 3:103'') , colors = , colors_label = Colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , anniversaries =

Navy Day Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy. By country Argentina The Argentine Navy day is celebrated on May 17, anniversary of the victory achieved in 1814 in the Battle of Montevideo. Bahrain The R ...

: 6 September , decorations = , battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , disbanded = , flying_hours = , website = , commander1 =

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Arif Alvi Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi (; born 29 July 1949) is a Pakistani dentist and politician currently serving as the 13th President of Pakistan, in office since 9 September 2018. He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from June 2013 to May 2 ...

, commander1_label = Commander-in-Chief , commander2 =

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Nadeem Raza General Nadeem Raza NI(M), HI(M) (Urdu: ندیم رضا) is a retired four-star army general of the Pakistan Army who got commissioned in 10 Sind Regiment in September 1985. He served 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Raza was pr ...

, commander2_label = Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff , commander3 = Vice admiral Faisal Rasul Lodhi , commander3_label = Commandant , commander4 = , commander4_label = , notable_commanders = , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = Pakistan Marines Headquarters Logo , identification_symbol_2 = , identification_symbol_2_label = Abbreviation , identification_symbol_3 = Marines , identification_symbol_3_label = Arm Badge , identification_symbol_4 = Naval Standard of Pakistan

, identification_symbol_4_label = Flag , aircraft_fighter = , aircraft_transport = , aircraft_helicopter_trainer = , aircraft_helicopter_utility = , aircraft_interceptor = , aircraft_patrol = , aircraft_recon = , aircraft_trainer = , aircraft_tanker = The Pakistan Marines (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' or simply as Pak Marines, is an expeditionary and amphibious warfare uniform service branch within the Pakistan Navy, consisting of the naval officers and other personnel to perform their duties within the Marines. Pakistan Marines are responsible for providing

force protection Force protection (FP) refers to the concept of protecting military personnel, family members, civilians, facilities, equipment and operations from threats or hazards in order to preserve operational effectiveness and contribute to mission succes ...

in littorals, using the mobility of the Pakistan Navy to provide creeks defence, ground based air defence and Force protection. In the Pakistani military leadership structure, the Marines are the expeditionary and amphibious branch within the Navy, often working closely with the Pakistan Army for training, executing expeditionary operations and

logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

purposes. Initially established and commissioned on 1 June 1971 in East-Pakistan, to assist Pakistan Army in riverine warfare. GHQ employed this infant force in successfully evacuating Pakistan Army units from encirclement by Indian Army. They were headquartered in PNS Bakhtiar and PNS Titumir to oversee the tactical riverine /waterborne operations. This small but valiant force soon started to make significant impact on retrograde waterborne operations of Pakistan and saved many lives. Post war scenario led to their decommissioning in 1974 due to no riverine area of operations left with Pakistan that time. On 25 November 1990, the Marines were re-organized and recommissioned under Cdr. Obaidullah–since then they have been a component of the Navy, conducting expeditionary operations with the special forces of

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and the

navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

. The Marines are primarily tasked with quick response and marine reconnaissance objectives to guard the coastal and amphibious regions of the country, and receives training at the School of Infantry and Tactics by the Pakistan Army's instructors. In 2010, Marines, in close co-ordination with the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force, were working around the clock to rescue villagers trapped by the country's worst deluge in 80 years.

History

The Pakistan Marines traces their history back to Eastern Pakistan when the infantry

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

, dedicated towards the

amphibious operations Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...

with the Pakistan Army, was commissioned in the Navy on 1 June 1971. Initially, the Marines were modeled based on the British Royal Marines and were aimed towards conducting independent expeditionary and amphibious operations in a geographical region that was essentially a dead-level plain, which made it difficult for the Pakistan Army to conduct mechanized operations, though an ideal theatre for amphibious ground forces. The Marines were initially tasked to counter the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

in Chittagong and Khulna with only four

patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

and improvised imported

amphibious vehicle An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian), is a vehicle that is a means of transport viable on land as well as on or under water. Amphibious vehicles include amphibious Amphibious cycle, bicycles, Amphibious ATV, ATVs, Amphibious automobile, ca ...

s. Due to lack of training and vessels, misunderstanding of the amphibious terrains, operational capabilities, the Marines failed to produced any significant results to counter the insurgency that resulted in their decommissioning in 1974. US Army 52876 Bright Star 09 Amphibious Exercise

US Army 52876 Bright Star 09 Amphibious Exercise

Nonetheless, the Marines continued to exists in its rudimentary form until 1988 to meet the fundamental security requirements of Pakistan Navy offshore establishments in the country. Following the introduction of the

Mistral Mistral may refer to: * Mistral (wind) in southern France and Sardinia Automobiles * Maserati Mistral, a Maserati grand tourer produced from 1963 until 1970 * Nissan Mistral, or Terrano II, a Nissan 4×4 produced from 1993 until 2006 * Microp ...

weapon system in the Navy, the Marines were re-commissioned under Cdr. Obaidulla ( PN.

Service number A service number is an identification code used to identify a person within a large group. Service numbers are most often associated with the military; however, they may be used in civilian organizations as well. National identification numbers may ...

1558) with Manora Fort at the vicinity of the

PNS Qasim The PNS Qasim (also known as Marines Base Qasim) is a major marines base that serves as the headquarter of the Pakistan Marines for their administrative, operational and logistic requirements. PNS Qasim, the garrison of Pakistan Marines, is serve ...

serving its first

forward base A forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward operational level military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support strategic goals and tactical objectives. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, machine sho ...

on 14 April 1990. Per Navy's request, the Pakistan Army undertook the training of the new Marines personnel at the

Pakistan Military Academy Pakistan Military Academy ( ur, ), also referred to by its acronym PMA. PMA is an officers training school located near Kakul village in the city and district of Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa established in 1947. It is the sole service academy ...

Kakul Kakul (Kakol) is a village situated in the Tehsil and District Abbottabad, at an elevation of 1300 metres, 5 km northeast of center of Abbottabad city near the Thandiani Hills. Abbottabad is a District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Paki ...

and later at the School of Infantry and Tactics in

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of ...

, aiming to raise an infantry unit to guard the offshore establishments of the Navy. Initially, the Marines objectives were to provide security and cover to the offshore establishments of the Navy while aiding the federal government using the Navy's mobility. Headquarters of the Marines was relocated from the

PNS Himalaya The PNS ''Himalaya (also known as BINS Himalaya)'' is the naval base and the home of the Pakistan Navy's only boot camp, commissioned in 1943. It is on Manora Island, Karachi.Till 1947 it was titled as BINS Himalaya as Pakistan was then part of ...

(Navy's only boot camp) to the Manora Fort in the

that was renamed as Marine Base Qasim in 1994. The commissioning Marines consisted of eighty commissioned officers, sixty seven chief petty officers from general service and forty three Marines. Its first battalion was activated in September 1971. As part of the first combat assignment, the Marines were deployed at the Sir Creek region during the last decade, threat on the South-Eastern border increased manifolds, warranting an immediate response. Estimating the type and quantum of threat, the Pakistan Navy proposed deployment of a sizable force in the Sir Creeks region. The then- Rear Admiral

Shahid Karimullah Admiral Shahid Karimullah (Urdu: شاهد كريم الله; b. 14 February 1948) was a Pakistan Navy officer who served as the Chief of Naval Staff from 2002 until 2005. Prior to that, he also served as the Pakistan Ambassador to Saudi Ara ...

vigorously pursued the case of an additional battalion and its phase-wise development plan. Since its inception, Creeks Battalion is deployed in its designated Area of Responsibility. On 28 March 2013, Pakistan Navy commissioned the third battalion of Pakistan Marines in order to further strengthen the defense of the Gwadar Port and to enhance the security of vital Pakistan Navy assets and installations along the western coasts of Pakistan.

Training center

Marine Training center is situated in

Gwadar Gwadar ( Balochi/ ur, ) is a port city with located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea opposite Oman. Gwadar is the 100th largest city of Pakistan, according to the 2017 ...

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. ...

Organizationn

Marines Headquarters

The headquarters of the marines were initially set up in the Naval Base Dacca in

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...

in 1971 but relocated in the Karachi after the third war with

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. In 1990, the Marines were organized in

initially, but the organizational command was relocated in Manora Fort located in the

that was renamed as Qasim Marine Base in 1995. General

military administration Military administration identifies both the techniques and systems used by military departments, agencies, and armed services involved in managing the armed forces. It describes the processes that take place within military organisations outsid ...

and logistics for the Marines are operated from the Qasim Marine Base in Karachi.Pns Qasim
The Marines maintains and control the inter-services liaison communication between the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and the Marines from the Marine Base Qasim, overseeing the military training and instructions on the weapon system provided by the Army instructors and weapon system specialists.

Marines bases, camps, and battalions

The Pakistan Marines operations are primarily controlled from the Qasim Marine Base but are stationed in Joint Army-Marine Base Sir Creek, Army Base Ormara, Gwadar Marine Camp and Marine Base Punjab. Since 1998, the Army helped Navy to raise six infantry battalions (approximately ~800 personnel), commanded by an officer with rank of Commander.

Personnel

Leadership and training

The Commander, Coastal Areas (COMCOAST), designated as the Chief of Staff Marines (CSM), is the highest-ranking officer in the Marines, usually at a rank of three-star, reporting directly to the Chief of Naval Staff. The officer candidates are directed to attend the

Pakistan Naval Academy The Pakistan Naval Academy (PNA), PNS Rahbar, Manora is a federal military academy located in Manora, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in Manora, Karachi, under Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan in 1970, it is the one of the technol ...

in Karachi in order to gain commissioned in the Marines, where the candidates pass out in courses relating the military history and training, training for the soldier recruits are conducted at the

– the initial entry training center ("boot camp") of the Navy. Following the award of their commissions, marines officers and personnel attend the Marine Training Center (MTC) located at the PNS ''Qasim'' to learn infantry and combined arms warfare, usually instructed by

Pakistani Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

specialists. At the MTC, the Marines completes the Basic Marines Course that included the instructions on comprehensive physical training in unarmed combat, close-quarter battle, security duties,

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, small-arms handling and infantry tactics. After passing the basic marine training course, the Marines are directed to attend the Pakistan Army's School of Infantry and Tactics in Quetta where they are trained together with army personnel. Since 1999, the Marines have been instructed to operate the

missile system, ordnance, and special security courses to protect naval bases on coastal areas. The Marines formations and personnel wears the camouflage uniforms when deployed to an operational environment but otherwise they wear Navy dress uniforms in public and international ceremonies.

Commissioned officers and Enlisted rank

The Marines are the branch within the Navy, therefore, using the same ranks and insignia as equivalent to the Pakistan Navy as contrary to the

U.S. Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and the Royal Marines in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Honours and Awards

Wartime Gallantry Awards

Photo gallery

File:US Army 52876 Bright Star 09 Amphibious Exercise.jpg, File:22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit storms the beach during Bright Star 2009 DVIDS212877.jpg, File:US Navy 091012-N-8132M-245 Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU), along with Marines from Kuwait and Pakistan, conduct an amphibious assault demonstration during Exercise Bright Star 2009.jpg, File:US Navy 091012-N-8132M-172 Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU), along with Marines from Kuwait and Pakistan.jpg, File:US Navy 091012-M-8752R-139 Marines and Sailors conduct an amphibious landing demonstration at Egyptian beaches near Alexandria during Exercise Bright Star 2009.jpg, File:US Army 52877 Bright Star 09 Amphibious Exercise.jpg, File:US Army 52876 Bright Star 09 Amphibious Exercise.jpg, File:Naval patrol.JPG,

References

External links

Marine and SSG homepage
on globalsecurity.org {{Pakistan Special Forces Military units and formations established in 1971 Military units and formations disestablished in 1974 Military units and formations established in 1990

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...