NationStates Jolt Archive

Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Languages: Urdu, English
Capital: Islamabad
National Anthem: Quami Tarana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qaumi_Tarana)

General
Area: 310,403 Sq. Mi
Population: ~ 168.8 Million
GDP (Gross Domestic Product): $475.6 billion
GDP Per Capita: $3,004.5
Legal Tender: Rupee
Government Type: Republic
Current President (Circa CW `07): Tal`Ibane Muqtar

Military
Minimum Age: 16
Maximum Age: 49
Annual Budget: ~4.5 Billion Dollars
Total Enlisted : ~1.5 Million
Army(Reserve): 550,000(510,000)
Navy(Reserve): 24,000(4,000)
Air Force (Reserve) 45,000(10,000)
Paramilitary*: 312,000

History
Pakistan has been a traditional ally of NATO throughout the Cold War. Generally, Pakistan has sided with NATO when confronted by Soviet interests. One stalwart example is Pakistani support of US operatives in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion of the 80s. As a result, the Pakistani military has enjoyed the support of the US armed forces, and receives a great deal of its military budget from the US.There has been a long standing rivalry between Pakistan and India regarding the Kashmir region. This dispute has been the driving force behind three wars, one in 1947, 1965, and finally in 1971. These conflicts were a primary factor in the development of Pakistan's nuclear program. Pakistan is the lone Muslim state armed with nuclear weaponry.

In 2003, the Standing Pakistani President was removed from power by General Tal`Ibane Muqtar of the Pakistani Air Force. Then president Muhammad Al`Elar had begun moving the nation into the direction of a Religious state, much like Saudi Arabia or Iran. Such actions conflicted with Pakistan's policy of Enlightened Moderation, which not only promoted moderation in promoting Islam de jure domestically, but also abroad. Muqtar, along with several key Army leaders, removed Al`Elar from power in a bloodless coupe de`ta Al`Elar was exiled from Pakistan. Over the years, Muqtar has moved to cement relations with the US. This has come at a cost; many see Muqtar as pandering to the US, making him unpopular, not only among the populace, but also many former allies within the military.

*Paramilitary forces are civilians trained for military service. An example of this is the Pakistani National Guard.
In Progress: Military Composition, Domestic & Foreign Economy, Geography

Military Strength
The Pakistani is divided into three main branches, the Air Force, Navy, and Army. Between these divisions are some 619,00 Active duty Personnel, with another 528,00 individuals in reserves. Additionally, there are 320,000 soldiers divided among the Pakistani National Guard, the Pakistani Rangers and Mehran Force (tasked with internal security), the Frontier Corps (tasked with protecting western borders), and the Maritime Security Agency (Coast Guard equivalent).

The Army is 550,000 strong. The 20 some Infantry divisions have access to a great deal of equipment. The standard grunt is usually equipped with Heckler & Koch G-3rifle, and a Colt 1911 as a sidearm. Commo support weapons include the MG-3 machine gun, Heckler & Koch MP 5 SMG, and Styer SSG-4 Sniper Rifle. With the exception of the Colt 1911, all of these weapons are manufactured in Pakistan under license. Additionally, Pakistani soldiers have access to; the M-82 .50 Cal Sniper Rifle, M4A1 carbine*, Type 81 assault rifle, and the Styer Scout. all of these weapons were imported in limited numbers. The motor pool of the Pakistani Army is vast, and is primarily composed of western vehicles. The Exception to this is the Pakistani tank corp, which is composed of 4 armored divisions. Between these divisions are T-84** Main Battle Tank and Al Khalid*** Main Battle Tank. There are roughly 350 T-84s in Pakistani, and 725 Al Kahlid tanks. A few reserve units are equipped with M-48 Patton MBTs, but these are scheduled to be phased out. The primary APC of the Pakistani Army is the M113, of which there are about 1,600 examples. These are supported by 300 Saudi Arabian Al-Fahd Armored Fighting Vehicles. Additionally, the Pakistani Army operates 10 BTR-60 APCs. The Bulk of the Pakistani artillery corps, which is composed of 7 brigades. The most common piece are 506 western M-101 105mm Towed Howitzer. These are supplemented by 235 M-109A5 155mm Self Propelled Artillery Pieces, and 100 M-109A2 205 mm Self Propelled Artillery pieces. The primary attack helicopter of the Army is the Bell AH-1 Cobra. 100 examples are in service. Additionally, the army has 75 Bell UH-1 Huey in service. These are supplemented by 20 Mi-7 Hinds.
* for SpecOps only
** Ukrainian T-80 variant
*** Domestic Tank

The Pakistani Air Force operates an amalgamation of American, European, and Chinese Aircraft. The Air Force operates 35 McDonald Douglass F-16 Block 15 Falcons, 210 Chengdu F-7s, 50 Dussault Mirage IIIs, 45 Dussault Mirage Vs, and 60 Nanchang Q-A5. The Mirages and F-7s come in a variety of configurations, which lend them to various roles, primarily Interception and Ground Support. The Q-A5s are dedicated ground attack aircraft, and the F-16s can adapt to most mission profiles.