ANTI-SURFACE OPERATIONS- DOCTRINE

1. IN FUTURE WAR, PAF ‘S EMPHASIS WOULD BE TO SUPPORT LAND AND

NAVAL FORCES. HOWEVER , CONTROL OF THE AIR WILL STILL BE
ESSENTIAL PRECURSOR TO THESE OPERATIONS. ACHIEVING AND
MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE AIR IS A CONTINOUS OPERATION AND
REMAINS PAF ‘S HIGHEST PRIORITY. IN PARALLEL WITH AIR DEFENCE
OPERATIONS PAF WOULD SUPPORT PAK NAVY BY PROVIDING EFFORT FOR
VARIOUS SUPPORT MISSIONS , ANTI SURFACE ROLE BEING ONE OF THEM.
THE PRIORITY ACCORDED TO SUCH MISSIONS WILL REFLECT THE
RELATIVE URGENCY OF TASKS AS DETERMINED BY THE COC AND THE
EXISTING THREAT.

MARITIME ENVIRONMENT

2. UNRESTRICTEDMARITIME WARFARE IS ONLY POSSIBLE IN GLOBAL OR

GENERAL WAR, IN LIMITED WAR AS IN OUR SCENARIO, MARITIME
ACTIVITIES BOTH SURFACE AND SUB SURFACE WOULD BE RESTRICRED
TO GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF CONSEQUENCE TO THE CONFLICT. AS A
RESULT THIS MAY CONCENTRATE THE FOCUS OF MARITIME WARFARE TO
A PERTICULAR AREA, WHICH CAN BE QUITE DISTINCT. THUS THE
ADVANTAGE OF KNOWN, LIKELY FOCAL AREAS AND SHIPPING ROUTES
WOULD ENABLES PN/PAF TO CONCENTRATE ITS FORCES IN THE
PROTECTION OF OUR SHIPPING.

3. IN MARITIME ENVIRONMENT, PAF WOULD SUPPORT NAVAL FORCES IN

ANTI SURFACE WARFARE AND PROVIDE PROTECTION TO NAVAL ASSESTS
IN DESIGNATED AREAS.

ANTI SURFACE WARFARE

4. TRADITIONALLY IN NAVAL WARFARE ATTACKS AGAINSY ENEMY SHIPS

BY AIR BORNE ASSESTS HAVE BEEN DESCRIBE VARIOUSLY AS ANTI-
SURFACE SHIPPING WARFARE, ANTI-SHIP WARFARE OR ANTI-SURFACE
WARFARE. TO CONFUSE THE ISSUE FURTHER, THE ROLE HAS ALSO BEEN
DESCRIBED AS MARITIME STRIKE. HOWEVER, BOTH TERMS HAVE BEEN
USED TO CONVEY THE MEANING OF AIR BORNE ATTACKS AGAINST
ENEMY SHIPS THAT ARE DIRECTLY THREATENING OR ARE IN CONTACT
WITH FRIENDLY FORCES.

5. IN THE EVENT WHERE ENEMY WARSHIPS POSE A THREAT TO PAKISTANI

MERCHANT SHIPPING OR PN WAR SHIPS, THEY MAY HAVE TO BE SUNK OR
NEUTRALIZED. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS OFFENSIVE ACTION COULD
INVOLVE SURFACE/SUB-SURFACE OF PN AND/OR AIR ELEMENT OF PN OR
APPROPRIATE PAF ASSETS. THE CHOICE BETWEEN PN AND PAF AIR
ASSETS WOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES, SUCH AS
REACTION TIME AVAILABLE AND THE PRIORITY OF THE THREAT
MEASURED AGAINST ASSETS AVAILABLE. SIMILARLY, THE USE OF EITHER
PAF FIGHTER OR NAVAL LRMPA WOULD BE DETERMINED BY
JUDGEMENT, BASED ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS CAPABILTY OF
THE THREAT, PRIORITY AND AVAILABILITY OF AIR ASSETS.

6. THE AVAILABILTYOF ANTI-SHIP MISSILE AND GUIDED MUNITIONS WITH

EXTENDED RANGE AND HIGH PROBILITY OF KILL RATIOS HAVE ALLOWED
AIR FORCES TO INCREASE NUMBER AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT TO BE USED
AGAINST SURFACE SHIPS. GENERALLY PN USES LRMPA FOR SHADOWING
ENEMY SURFACE/SUB-SURFACE FORCES AND FOR PROVIDING TARGETING
INFORMATION FOR PAF ANTI-SURFACE AIRCRACFT OR SHIP LAUNCHED
ATTACKS. THE INCLUSION OF STAND OFF WEAPONS ON LRMPA NOW
ALLOWS THESE AIRCRAFT TO COMPLEMENT STRIKE/ATTACK ASSETS IN
THE ASW ROLE.

7. WHILE THE USE OF LRMPA PROVIDES A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF

COMBAT POWER, THE VULNURABILITY OF LRMPA PLATFORM IS HIGH.
THEY ARE VULNERABLE TO GUN/SAM AND ENEMY FIGHTERS AND WOULD
BE IN DANGER SHOULD CLOSE VISUAL IDENTIFICATION OF TARGET BE
NECESSARY WHEN IN HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. THEY ARE ALSO NOT
INHERENTLY SELF DEFENCE, IN CASE IF THEY ARE COMMITTED TO
ATTACK ENEMY WAR SHIPS ,THAN NAVY SHOULD BE READY TO ACCEPT
REDUCTION IN ITS SERVELIANCE CAPABILITIES.PAF”S CAPABILTY TO
PROTECT NAVAL ASSESTS IS RESTICTED TO SHORE INSTALLATIONS AND
SHIPS CLOSE TO THE COASTLINE ONLY.