APP,
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force's month-long strategic exercise, High Mark-05, will kickoff today (Sunday).
The exercise, the biggest in country's military history, is to focus on sharply developing strategies to operate and conduct air operations in the hilly areas of North and Kashmir.
The extensive exercises are preceded by extensive tri-service war-game titled, Tempest-1, focused on the employment concepts of air power.
PAF will be conducting High Mark 05 with 180 Mirages, 60 A-5, 32 F-16s, 55 F7PG, 155F7MP, 15 FT7MP, 20 C-130 Allocates, Puma, MI17 and Cobra helicopters. Aim 9P, Aim9L, Magic R550, Air Dragon, PL-7, PL5, BL755 Exocet, CBU10, CBU 12, Maverick and Snake eye missiles will be the systems at the disposals of the two forces.
However, Wonder Thunder Jet JF-17 will not participate in the exercises as it still awaits avionics and missile systems to be mounted on it though the airborne subsystems have been fitted on it.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will also witness the drills to be participated by the Pakistan Army and Navy as well.
The PAF alone would bear the entire budgetary expense of the exercise that will involve all major bases including Risalpur, Kamara, Peshawar, Chaklala, Mianwali, Mushaf, Rafiqui, Samungli, Mehran and Masroor.
The transport and helicopter fleets would be exposed to the same operational engagement as the fighter aircraft.
The PAF aircrafts will fly a large quantum of operational sorties.
Two operations headquarters will be set up on undisclosed bases from where two air forces will engage in full fledge war involving ground troops, army aviation and strategic forces.
Upgraded avionics and Air Defence Sensors on aircraft and ground-based radars are meshed into the greater fabric of air operations.
Two opposing forces Blueland and Foxland would clash in the exercises.
Blue Forces will be lean, agile, and equipped with modern, state-of-the-art air defence equipment and fighters mounted with strategic weapon systems.
The Fox Forces having the number edge in aircraft's will be in an offensive mode warranting the Blue Forces to first secure vital assets including the major bases, runways, bridges and strategic locations.
Two operations headquarters will be set up on undisclosed bases from where two air forces will engage in full fledge war involving ground troops, army aviation and strategic forces.
Northern Air Command Peshawar, Central Air Command Sargodha and Southern Air Command Masroor will be dedicating their squadrons to form Blue and Fox Forces.
