Interview: Adm. Asif Sandila, Chief Of Naval Staff, Pakistan Navy

Interview: Adm. Asif Sandila, Chief of Naval Staff, Pakistan Navy

Feb. 20, 2012 - 12:38PM |
By USMAN ANSARI

ISLAMABAD — Bordering Afghanistan and near the Arabian Sea, Pakistan has become a frontline state in global anti-terrorism endeavors since 2001. Maritime counterterrorism and anti-piracy efforts have increasingly drawn the Pakistan Navy (PN) into international operations such as Coalition Task Force 150 and counterpiracy Coalition Task Force 151.

The Navy, led since October by Adm. Asif Sandila, must maintain its peacetime fleet plus deterrent credibility in the face of archrival India’s military expansion, which includes a modernization and expansion program for the Indian Navy. The Pakistan Navy’s own modernization plans have been complicated by the nation’s poor financial position, which has made Pakistan more reliant on China for new military equipment.

Q. You have only just taken up office. What are the most pressing issues you face at present?

A. We are faced with a phenomenal naval buildup in our immediate neighborhood, which has the potential to disturb the balance of naval power in the region. We need to ensure that this balance is redressed and naval power is not concentrated in any one center in [the Indian Ocean region]. We are taking steps to achieve that, but at the same time we, being located astride a global energy highway, are also required to play a pivotal role in ensuring maritime security and stability of the northwest part of the region. Pakistan is thus torn between redressing an unprecedented naval buildup, as well as ensuring maritime security. To cope with these dual yet tremendously challenging propositions on either flanks of Pakistan at a time when we are passing through difficult financial times is the most pressing issue I face today.

Q. With Pakistan’s troubled economy, how is the Navy continuing to finance its operations and acquisitions? It no longer seems that Pakistan will be looking to acquire surplus warships, like additional Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates.

A. It’s true that our economy is not in a healthy state at the moment, but considering the precarious security environment in our region and its impact on Pakistan, the government has not carried out cuts in any field of defense, including the Navy. I therefore don’t think that our future acquisition programs will suffer due to budgetary constraints. With regards to the Oliver Hazard Perry acquisition, the program is not being financed through our national funding. Rather, it falls under the U.S.-sponsored Foreign Military Financing Program, and it remains on course. As of now, we have visibility of four more Oliver Hazard Perry ships to be supplied to the Navy in 2013 and 2014 in batches of two each.

Q. A strategic threat from India has been cited in plans for the Navy’s expansion, but if this also means a manpower increase, as well as the number of hulls in the water, how will you meet these costs? Would the incremental replacement of existing manpower-intensive systems allow this to happen, or will you have to seek a budget increase?

A. I have alluded to the massive Indian naval buildup, but let me clarify that we can neither afford nor do we plan to match it in terms of numerical strength, be it the number of PN personnel or PN platforms. We have our own employment strategy, and we are developing our strength and hardware to enable successful manifestation of this strategy. It is not exclusively Indo-centric. It is essentially based on achieving certain capabilities that we hope will help us deliver in the hour of need.

Q. One of the most high-profile acquisition programs of your predecessor’s tenure was the next-generation submarine. Can you expand on reports of a Chinese submarine design being selected, and comment on whether the HDW Type-214 may still see service with Pakistan as a replacement for the Agosta-70s?

A. Submarines all along have been our main strength and at the heart of our naval strategy of offensive sea denial. Over the years, the strength of our submarines has dwindled due to aging. Our primary consideration is to acquire modern and potent submarines. All options, including submarines of the West, as well as China, are under deliberation, though no decision has been taken as yet.

Q. Long-standing plans include the expansion of the shipbuilding industry but also to diversify construction locations away from Karachi to places like Gwadar and Ormara. Where do these plans stand?

A. Our long-term plan is to have two major shipbuilding and repair yards at Port Bin Qasim in the east and Gwadar in the west. In addition, we have a strategic plan to develop this rich but hitherto untapped segment of our maritime sector. To realize the same, we have a high-level shipbuilding task force formed under the aegis of [the Ministry of Defence Production].

Q. How do you plan to replace the P-3C Orions destroyed by terrorists last year? And what else can we expect from the Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft procurement efforts? Have you examined any Chinese options, such as the H-6K or Y-8Q? And is any thought being given to replacing your elderly Westland Sea King helicopters yet?

A. Despite the loss of two P-3Cs during the unfortunate attack on [Pakistan Naval Station] Mehran last year, our maritime surveillance capability remains intact and we can well manage our operational requirements. Nevertheless, we have initiated the process for the replacement of the destroyed aircraft from the U.S. and remain hopeful of a positive outcome. You must appreciate that the P-3C is designed for long-range surveillance. Deploying this aircraft continuously for routine surveillance in peacetime is not only uneconomical, it actually amounts to its underutilization. We are thus maintaining smaller and cheaper maritime patrol aircraft — i.e., FK-27S —which fulfills our day-to-day operational needs. Apart from that, we are considering a range of other surveillance aircraft, including Chinese options.

With regard to our Sea King helos, we have signed the Mid Life Upgrade Program, under which a new and modern avionics suite and sensors will be fitted onboard, making them a more potent and capable aerial platform.

Q. The effectiveness of the small number of Exocet-equipped anti-ship strike Mirage-5 aircraft is now surely questionable. What do you intend to replace them with? And is there a case for having these Pakistan Air Force aircraft under naval control?

A. PAF Mirage aircraft equipped with missiles are effective [anti-shipping strike] platforms. The PN and PAF have put in place an efficient mechanism for their optimum deployment, which is why we don’t feel the need to place them under PN control. There are plans to replace the systems which become obsolete or are no longer operationally effective.

Q. Later this decade, you will face an Indian nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed ballistic submarine that threatens the current strategic balance in South Asia. How do you intend to respond?

A. The strategic dimension of India’s naval buildup is a cause of concern not only for us but for the entire Indian Ocean region. I feel nuclearization of the Indian Ocean does not augur well for peace and stability in the region. We are mindful of this development and taking necessary measures to restore the strategic balance.

Q. Your predecessors have spoken about further new-build warships. Can we expect more orders for the F-22P frigate, or perhaps the heavier Type-054A Jiankai-II? What about your Turkish-designed corvette program. Has that been abandoned?

A. Contemporary maritime warfare has increased and diversified the roles of surface ships manifold, thus making them indispensable for any navy. The Pakistan Navy, being incessantly engaged in maritime security, counterterrorism and anti-piracy operations, is still short of surface ships to meet the growing requirements. We feel that despite addition of four F-22P frigates and planned induction of U.S. OHP-class frigates, our force structure in terms of surface ships would still be deficient. We are thus evaluating various options, including corvette-sized ships to meet the shortfall.

Q. There have been long-standing plans to increase security in the coastal/littoral environments. What are your current and future plans for Pakistan Navy Marines and the Maritime Safety Agency?

A. Coastal and port security remains a high-priority area for the Pakistan Navy, and we are making concerted efforts in this direction. PN is actively pursuing the formation of a Joint Maritime Information Organization. In Pakistan, a whole host of agencies working under different ministries are in one way or the other concerned with maritime security. This, at times, leads to information blockage and duplication of efforts, resulting in uncoordinated response to challenges in the maritime arena. We are pursuing this interministerial and interagency body, which will bring more synergy in our efforts and become an assured guarantor of our port and coastal security.

PN Marines have a wide variety of roles to perform, but most importantly, they are entrusted with the defense of the Creeks area [which is part of the disputed Indo-Pakistani maritime border]. For this purpose, we have equipped them with special craft and assault boats to add to their mobility and firepower in support of their operational plans.

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