PAKISTAN STRATEGIC INSTITUTE

Project Rose was the extensive modernization program initiated by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) with the aim of  installing new various upgrades such as avionics and electronics systems of its Mirage fighters jets (These are now classified as 3rd generation aircraft). The program mainly focused on modernization of avionics and on-board computer system of Mirage IIIE and the Mirage V which were supplied by Pakistani Margella Electronics (PME), French SAGEM and the Italian SELEX consortiums. Originally Conceived in 1992 by the PAF, the program actually started in 1995 which resulted in PAF's mirages upgradation from (2nd Generation) jets to (3rd Generation) having been additionally given the ability to fight beyond visual range and launch nuclear armed ballistic missiles which brought the Mirage onto new heights of operational importance.  The Rose program can be classified as successful and saved PAF' a lot of financial capital which could now be utilized else where. More upgrad...

Pakistan army has a large operational main battle tanks fleet of various different tanks however a few years back many of those with in army service (Type 59, Type 69 tanks) were old and obsolete. To remedy this problem Pakistan army had started a large-scale tank replacement program where the Type 59 and Type 69 tanks would be transferred out of Army service into national guard and (Paramilitary) Frontier corps. In place of these the army would procure a new tank after trails and testing, the finalists of which were the Chinese VT-4 and Ukrainian Opilot. In the end the VT-4 won and an order of 300 VT-4 has been placed which will soon be joining the Pakistan army tank corps. This tank will be he most advanced and capable with in South Asia giving Pakistan much needed increase in armored fire power. However, the army does not plan on stopping there as the modernization plan seeks to completely modernize each section within the army corps. Hence as the VT-4 procurement is taking place th...

On February twenty third of 1994, three Afghans hijacked a bus filled with teachers and students at gun point, quickly driving  it to the Afghan embassy in Pakistan in the city of Islamabad. They took them as hostages and started demanding money, food, and safe passage back into Afghanistan. Negotiations for the release of hostages took place but ultimately failed and it was clear that the special forces action will have to take place to resolve the crisis. Hijacking On one normal day out on a field trip, three Afghan armed men hijacked a school bus in the city of Peshawar. The motivations centered around demanding a large sum of money and food from the Pakistani government. The three gunmen moved with the hostages forcing the driver to go towards the Afghan embassy in Islamabad using the school bus. Immediately after reaching the destination the three men took refuge within the Afghan embassy along with their hostages which numbered 15 students and one teacher. They had befor...

Nigeria is emerging as the new dominant regional power within West Africa, the country holds one of the largest natural resources reserves in the world and currently boasts the largest population in Africa. Hence law makers are looking to further expand and modernize Nigerian industries and institutions, this of course includes the Nigerian Armed Forces. Evidence of this modernization drive can already be seen as not long ago the Nigerian Army procured a handful of Chinese VT-4 tanks and recently 3 JF-17 multi role fighters from Pakistan amid celebrations marking the 57th anniversary of the service. Furthermore, numerous sources have stated that Nigerian Air Force now intends to acquire two entire squadrons comprising of JF-17 which will replace the J-7 and become the bulk of Nigerian Airforce fighter fleet. If this modernization plan is materialized Nigeria will properly join the club of countries which operate 4+ Generation warplanes and have Beyond visual Range engagement capability...

On the Twenty Fifth of May 1998, a Pakistan International Airlines Fokker F27 aircraft was hijacked just after it had taken off from Gwadar Airport, by three armed hijackers. The aircraft which carried thirty three passengers onboard along with 5 crew members were held hostage at gun point by the three armed men who forcefully demanded the place fly all the way into India, after long hours of unsuccessful negotiations Pakistani special force SSG stormed the plane, this incident turned out to be one of the most bizarre hijacking to ever occur.  Hijacking The whole incident began as the aircraft was airborne just having taken , carrying around thirty three passengers with 5 crew members onboard whose destination was towards. Three men suddenly arose armed with small arms and explosives at precisely 5:35pm. The hijackers entered the cockpit and forced the pilot to fly towards India demanding they reach new Delhi, but the pilot refused to head towards Delhi telling the hijackers about ...

Whenever Afghan-Pakistan relations are discussed usually the focus will be on the series of issues that took place after 1979, often starting at the Soviet Afghan war time when Pakistan along with the US started assisting the Mujahedeen to force the Soviet influence out from the region. The talk then transfers to Taliban and how Pakistan interferes inside Afghanistan. But intentionally or even un intentionally the tense Pakistan-Afghan history from 1947-1979 time frame is often ignored which is filled with a 26-year long proxy war started  by the ethnically motivated Afghan government in the name of Pashtunistan (1947-73). They tried to create separatist forces with in and trapped Pakistan in a geological struggle to maintain its structural integrity.  Early time period context  The Afghan government for the most part in recent history has been dominated by highly ethnically driven Pashtun centered nationalists and this has had direct impact on the behavior of Afghan poli...

As we grew up we have all heard the tales from about how Pakistan was once a shining beacon of progress and development within South Asia. How in 1960s Pakistan’s economic growth inspired some of today’s most successful nations such as South Korea to copy our model, how Pakistan airlines became the leader in aviation helping build up todays industry giants such as Emirates, or how Pakistan was at a position where it provided the German state with financial loans and so on, however, this did not last. Soon Pakistan fell from glory to its own internal political struggle and geopolitics surrounding the US USSR cold war. In other words Pakistan faced widespread internal corruption, foreign-backed insurgency, tense border relationships and multiple sanctions slowing down economic progress. We now have faced many financial and domestic problems that need to be addressed unless we want to go through another decade in relative poverty while those around us grow, Pakistan needed a second chance...