, image = AAvn logo.PNG , caption = Formation Sign of Army Aviation Command , start_date = 14 August 1947 – present , country = , allegiance = , branch = , type =

Army aviation An army aviation unit is an aviation-related unit of a nation's army, sometimes described as an air corps. These units are generally separate from a nation's dedicated air force, and usually comprise helicopters and light support fixed-wing airc ...

, role = , size = , command_structure = , garrison = Army Aviation Command, Rawalpindi , garrison_label = Headquarters/Garrison , nickname = , patron = , motto = , colors = , colors_label = , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = see

Military history of Pakistan The military history of Pakistan ( ur, ) encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2,000 years across areas constituting modern Pakistan and greater South Asia. The history of the modern-day military of ...

, anniversaries = , decorations = 9× Sitara-i-Jurat
13×

Sitara-i-Basalat Sitara-e-Basalat ( ur, ستارہِ بسالت, , ''Star of Good Conduct'') is a non-operational gallantry (courageous behaviour, especially in battle) award of Pakistan Armed Forces given to individuals for distinguished acts of gallantry, valor o ...

15x

Tamgha-i-Basalat Tamgha-i-Basalat ( ur, تمغہِ بسالت, , ''Medal of Good Conduct'') is an award of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It is a non operational award. See also * Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces The awards and decorations of ...

COAS Commendation Cards
Imtiazi Sanads , battle_honours = Chumak (Siachin) Saviours , battle_honours_label = , disbanded = , flying_hours = , website = , commander1 = Maj Gen Nadeem Yousaf , commander1_label = General Officer Commanding , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , commander3_label = , commander4 = , commander4_label = , notable_commanders = Lt Gen AB Awan
Brigadier Jabbar
Maj Gen Azam
Brigadier Zaka Bhangoo
Brigadier M Ahmed Raashid
Maj Gen Waqar Ahmed Kingravi
Maj Gen Nasir Dilawar Shah
Brigadier Hamid Chaudhry , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = , identification_symbol_2 = , identification_symbol_3 = , identification_symbol_4 = , identification_symbol_2_label = , identification_symbol_3_label = , identification_symbol_4_label = , aircraft_attack = , aircraft_bomber = , aircraft_electronic = , aircraft_fighter = , aircraft_helicopter = , aircraft_helicopter_attack =

AH-1 Cobra The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake. The A ...

Mi-35M Hind-E , aircraft_helicopter_scout = , aircraft_helicopter_transport = , aircraft_helicopter_multirole =

AW139 The AgustaWestland AW139 is a medium-lift twin-engined helicopter developed and produced by the Anglo-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, later wholly owned by Leonardo S.p.A. It is marketed at several different roles, including VI ...

Bell 412 The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. Design and development Development began in the ...

Eurocopter Fennec The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) AS550 Fennec (now H125M) and AS555 Fennec 2 are lightweight, multipurpose military helicopters manufactured by Eurocopter Group (now Airbus Helicopters). Based on the AS350 Ecureuil and AS355 Ecureuil ...

, aircraft_helicopter_utility = Mi-17/171
SA 330 Puma

Alouette III Alouette or alouettes may refer to: Music and literature * "Alouette" (song), a French-language children's song * Alouette, a character in ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'' Aerospace * SNCASE Alouette, a utility helicopter developed in France i ...

Eurocopter Écureuil
SA 315B Lama

UH-1 Huey The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...

, aircraft_helicopter_trainer = 206 JetRanger
Enstrom 280FX
Schweizer 300C , aircraft_helicopter_observation = , aircraft_interceptor = , aircraft_patrol = , aircraft_recon = Super King Air 350i , aircraft_trainer = , aircraft_transport = Super King Air 350
Y-12
Turbo Commander 690C
206 Stationair
208 Caravan
Citation V
Citation Bravo

G450 The Gulfstream IV (or G-IV or GIV) and derivatives are a family of twinjet aircraft, mainly for private or business use. They were designed and built by Gulfstream Aerospace, a General Dynamics company based in Savannah, Georgia, United State ...

, aircraft_tanker = The Pakistan Army Aviation Corps ( ur, ﺁرمى ایویشن كور; ''Army Aviation Corps''), abbreviated as Avn, is the aviation corps of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, 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 India, Partition of British India, wh ...

, tasked with providing close aerial combat support and aerial logistics for the Pakistan Army.

History

Originally formed by

British Army Air Corps The Army Air Corps (AAC) is a component of the British Army, first formed in 1942 during the Second World War by grouping the various airborne units of the British Army. Today, there are eight regiments (seven Regular Army and one Reserve) of ...

in 1942, the entire unit was transferred to Pakistan in 1947. The officers and personnel were part of the

Air Observation Post Air Observation Post (AOP) is an aeroplane or helicopter used in the role of artillery spotter by the British Army and Commonwealth forces. In this role, either the pilot of the aircraft or another crew member acts as an observer watching for tar ...

who were deployed in support of

Punjab Boundary Force The Punjab Boundary Force was an ad hoc military force to restore law and order during the communal carnages of the partition of India in the Punjab. The force was based on the 4th Indian Division and commanded by Maj Gen T.W. Rees. The force wa ...

. Later the entire group was stationed at Chaklala Air Force Base before the

partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

. Initially part of

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

, the Corps was split into the new service and became part of Pakistan Army in 1958. The Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering started to maintain the aircraft and helicopters given by the

United States Army Aviation Branch The United States Army Aviation Branch is the administrative organization within the United States Army responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all army aviation units. After the United States Army Air Corps grew into the Unite ...

, opening its own aviation school in 1959. Since the 1960s, the corps expanded in momentum, manpower, and its operational scope has widened. By the 1970s, the Corps became a fighting air component of the Pakistan Army, with its attack helicopters becoming the backbone of military operations. 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. 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.

Combat operations

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 The Somali Civil War ( so, Dagaalkii Sokeeye ee Soomaaliya; ar, الحرب الأهلية الصومالية ) is an ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the Military dictatorship, military junta wh ...

, Sierra Leone war, Mozambique war, Sri Lankan war

Bosnian war The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

, and recently, the

War in North-West Pakistan The insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also known as the War in North-West Pakistan or Pakistan's war on terror, is an ongoing armed conflict involving Pakistan, and Islamist militant groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Junda ...

. 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. The Corps also initiated the non-combatant operations in 2005, when it led a massive airlift and re-location mission after the

Kashmir earthquake The 2005 Kashmir earthquake occurred at on 8 October in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir. It was centred near the city of Muzaffarabad, and also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some areas of Indian-administered Jammu an ...

. In 1991, the Corps was stationed in Bangladesh, where they completed its non-combat mission after the country was hit with a

cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...

. 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.

Aircraft inventory

Pakistan Army operates 314+ helicopters alongside several fixed-wing aircraft. 3

CAIC Z-10 The CAIC Z-10 ( zh, 直-10, "helicopter-10"), also called WZ-10 ( zh, 武直-10, "armed helicopter-10"), is a Chinese medium attack helicopter developed for the People's Liberation Army Ground Force. It is designed primarily for anti-tank warf ...

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 and replaced by

TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK The TAI/AgustaWestland T129 ATAK is a twin-engine, tandem seat, multi-role, all-weather attack helicopter based on the Agusta A129 Mangusta platform. The T129 was developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in partnership with Leonardo (Ag ...

, this could mean that these 3 helicopters were returned with no follow-up order. 15

Bell AH-1Z Viper The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. Being one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family, it is also c ...

with

Hellfire missiles The AGM-114 Hellfire is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) first developed for anti-armor use, later developed for precision drone strikes against other target types, especially high-value targets. It was originally developed under the name '' Heli ...

, equipment and support worth $952 million were on order but were not delivered due to political tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan. 30

worth $1.5 billion is on order however production is still on hold due to the United States not giving export license for the engine, which is of American origin. New Turkish indigenous engine as a replacement is currently on trials. After the United States fail to deliver the AH-1Z and the problems with the Turkish T129, Pakistan Army again is showing interests in Chinese all-weather, multirole CAIC Z-10ME which is the advanced & upgraded variant of

Retired Aircraft

* Auster 5 1947-1957 *

Auster AOP.6 The Auster AOP.6 was a British military air observation aircraft produced by Auster Aircraft Limited to replace the numerous wartime Taylorcraft Auster aircraft then in-service. History The Auster AOP.6 (Auster Model K) was designed as a succe ...

1947-1957 *

Cessna O-1 Bird Dog The Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog is a liaison and observation aircraft. It was the first all-metal fixed-wing aircraft ordered for and by the United States Army following the Army Air Forces' separation from it in 1947. The Bird Dog had a lengthy ...

1957-1990 * Beechcraft U-8F Seminole 1963-1983 *

Bell Model 47 The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first he ...

1964-1990 *

Bell OH-13 Sioux The Bell H-13 Sioux is an American single-engine helicopter, light helicopter built by Bell Helicopter and manufactured by Westland Aircraft under license for the British military as the Sioux AH.1 and HT.2. Development In 1947, the United S ...

1964-1990 *

Mil Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. It is now produced by Russia. In addition t ...

1969-1998

Notable accidents and incidents

* 2022 Pakistan Army helicopter incident * 29 March 2022 – Eight

UN peacekeepers Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role held by the Department of Peace Operations as an "instrument developed by the organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace". It is distinguished ...

, six Pakistanis, a Russian and a Serb, part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were killed in a

crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...

of a

Puma helicopter Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...

operated by the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps while on a reconnaissance mission in the troubled eastern

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. Cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained. * 2019 Pakistan Army military plane crash * 2015 Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash * 2009 Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash

Units

* 31 Army Aviation Combat Squadron

References

External links

* {{Pakistan Army Regiments

Aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...

Military units and formations established in 1947 Army aviation units and formations 1947 establishments in Pakistan