Cover Story
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Power in Air
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A comparison of Indian, Chinese and Pakistan armies’ air assets |
Lt. Gen. B.S. Pawar [Retd]
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Lt Gen. B.S. Pawar (retd)
It has been 25 years since the establishment of the Army Aviation Corps (AAC), but it is axiomatic that this young and fledgling corps even today remains mostly a recce and observation force.
In August 1947, the assets of the erstwhile British 1 Air Observation Post Flight (Air OP) Auster fixed wing, two-seater aircraft, were decided between India and Pakistan. Thus came the existence of the Air OP units in both the countries under their respective air forces.
The initial aircraft authority by Pakistan Army Aviation were the Auster and the American, Bird Dog, also a two-seater fixed wing aircraft. |
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The Indian Army Aviation updated the Auster, Krishak and the Pushpak — all two–seater light aircraft in the initial stages of the Air OP growth. The main role remained observation and direction of artillery for both Air OP organisations.
Pakistan Army Aviation, however, gained authority from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in 1958 and full Corps status in 1977, resulting in a total break from the Air Force. In India, on the other hand, the army had to struggle for almost more than three decades to form its own full-fledged Army Aviation Corps (AAC) in November 1986. This, however, came with some restrictions and reservations, due to the rigid stance and attitude of the Indian Air Force (IAF). In the new arrangement, the AAC was to hold and operate only light utility aircraft. In the case of China, the army aviation bureau came into being in 1985. The Peoples Liberation Army Aviation corps (PLAA) was established in April 1986, almost similar to the birth of our own Army Aviation Corps (1 November 1986). Initially, there was pooling in of helicopters from the Chinese Air force and Civil Industry. |
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