Pakistan’s Air Defence (AD) system is a tri-service and mutually integrated setup with the main focus on defence against India. PAF laid the foundation of an integrated AD network in 1976 or 1977 under “Project Crystal”. Multiple fixed and mobile radar systems were acquired to set the foundation.
Presently, Air Defence Command (ADC) is responsible for air defence of strategic nature.Its Command HQ is located in Chaklala, Rawalpindi and it controls four geographical Sector HQs. Each such sector HQ controls one Sector Operations Centre (SOC) which gets its inputs from a mix of sensors and radars (airborne and ground based). Operational Control Centres (OCC) which work alongside SOC control the actual AD actions like use of SAMs, interceptors and other available assets . Army’s AD command is located at Chaklala and is under direct control of GHQ. Each of the army’s AD brigade has multiple regiments with AAA guns, MANPADs and SAMs.
There are 3 sub-commands, Northern, Southern and Central based in Peshawar, Sargodha and Masroor respectively. There are four Sector Operations Centres:
- North – Peshawar
- South – Karachi
- Centre – Sargodha
- West – Quetta
Following types of Air Defence formations are in service:
- Air Defence Regiments:
Following type of AD Regiments exist:
- Surface To Air Missile (SAM) Regiments.
- Mixed Regiments (AAA and SAM)
- Surveillance, Control and Reporting (SCR) Regiments.
There seem to be 70+ AD regiments. These are listed later in this chapter.
Each regiment usually has following characteristics:
- 3 batteries with 4-6 SAM launchers or 6 AAA guns. Newer HQ-9 and HQ-16/LY-80 (9 batteries) may have a different structure.
- 300-400 troops commanded by a Major and sometimes a Captain..
- Radar section in some regiments
- Air Defence Brigades: Attached to Armoured divisions. 12-14 Brigades
- Air Defence Divisions: Attached to Corps. 2 Div
 IMAGE: Pakistan Army Air Defence Flag |  Image: Pakistan Army Air Defence Insignia |
Air Defence Weapon Systems of Pakistan
Pakistani air defence system is based upon a mixture of ground based static and mobile system as well as air-borne assets like AWACS and interceptors operated by Air Force. This section covers the ground based defences consisting of SAMs, AA Guns and radars.
HQ-16/LY-80
HQ-16/LY-80 form the Low to Medium Air Defence (LOMAD) part of Pakistani AD systems. They had ordered 3 batteries and 8 IBIS-150 radars in 2013 and 6 more batteries again in 2014. Each firing battery has 4 vertical launch vehicles with 6 launch tubes making a total of 24 missiles in each battery. Command & Control, search radar and tracking radar are carried separately. Support vehicles include vehicles for power supply, testing, loading and maintenance.
It uses a mast mounted S-band 3-D passive phased array radar with a range of roughly 150 km as search radar. L-band passive electronically scanned array radars with a range of 80-85 km are used for guidance and tracking. It can detect up to 6 targets and track 4 at the same time.
According to some news reports in mid 2021, there weren some problems with the system and teams of Chinese engineers were sent for troubleshooting.
HQ-9/P
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HQ-9/P is the latest and longest ranged SAM system in service with Pakistan and forms core of their High to Medium Altitude Air Defence System (HIMAD) and contributes to Comprehensive Layered Integrated Air Defence (CLIAD) of Pakistan It’s claimed to have a range of 100 km against aircraft and cruise missiles with a high “single shot kill probability”.
HQ-9s ( a copy of Russian S-300) in Chinese service have a claimed range of 120 km for HQ-9 and 250 km fr HQ-9B with flight ceiling of 50 km. It’s not clear what customisations have been offered to Pakistan or the number of batteries on order.
HQ-7B/FM-90
HQ-7 is a Chinese copy of French Crotale SAM. This system’s range against aircraft is 0.7 km to 7 km and against cruise missiles is 0.7 km to 11 km with maximum flight ceiling of 12 km. It can detect a target with radar cross section of 0.1 m sq at 20 km and track at 18 km. It uses mechanically steered S-band 3D Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar which can detect 48 targets and track 24. Each battery has 3 wheeled launchers with each carrying 4 missiles.
SPADA-2000
Spada SAMs bought from Italy are under control of PAF AD formations. It can detect targets up to 60 km away and engage them at 25 km. 750 missiles for 10 batteries with 2 sections each were bought for USD 650 million in 2010. These are deployed in Chaklala, Jacobabad, Kahuta, Kamra, Karachi, Sargodha and Khushab.
MANPADS
Pakistan uses a large variety of shortranged man portable air defence systems which include laser guided Swedish RBS-70 and infrared homing Anza (copy of Chinese QW-1), Chinese F-6 and American Stinger. Most of the army’s AD units are equipped with these missiles along with AA guns for point defence roles. Some of the M113 APCs carry atleast 1 MANPADs too
Anti Aircraft Guns
Pakistan is known to operate towed and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns of 12.7, 20, 35, 37 and 57 mm calibres. A few of them are radar guided.
| SAM | RANGE (km) | ALTITUDE (km) | BATTERIES x LAUNCHERS | SENSOR |
| HQ-16AE/LY-80 | 40 | 18 | 9 x 4 | IBIS-150 L-Band PESA 150km |
| HQ-9 | 27, 50 | 50 | ||
| HQ-7B/FM-90 SP | 0.7 -15 | 0.015-6 | 15 x 3 | S-Band AESA.25 km |
| SPADA-2000 | 25 | 0.4-10 | 10x 2 sections (6 missiles/ launcher). 750 missiles | RAC-3D. 60km |
| Anza | 0.5-6 | 0.03-4 | 2400-3500 missiles | IR |
| FIM-92 Stinger | 8 | 3.5 | 350 missiles | IR |
| FN-6 MANPAD | 5.5 | 3.8 | 295 missiles | IR |
| RBS-70 MANPAD. SP | 5 | 3 | 140 | Laser |
| RADAR | RANGE (km) | FREQUENCY | TYPE |
| TPS-77 | 10-470 | 1215-1400 Mhz | 3D Surveillance |
| TPS-43G | 450 | 2.9-3.1 Ghz | 3D Surveillance |
| YLC-18A | 500 | EF band | 3D Guidance & Surveillance |
| YLC-6 | 150 | S band | 2D Surveillance |
| IBIS-150 (with LY-80) | 150 | S band | 3D Surveillance |
| Skyguard | 20 | FCR 35 mm AA | |
| Giraffe 40 | 40 | 4-6 Ghz | 3D Surveillance with RBS-70 |
Air Borne Assets
NOTE: This section is intentionally kept small as details about PAF assets will be in a separate chapter.
PAF operates 5 Saab E-2000 based Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) and 4 Y-8 based KJ-200 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) . Former are with Northern Air Command’s 3rd Squadron “Angels” in Minhas while latter are with Souther Air Command’s 4th Squadron “Karakoram Eagles” in Masroor.
In addition, PAF operates F-16, JF-17, F-7 and J-10 fighter aircraft for air defence roles.
Air Defence Orbat
This is a partial orbat of known Pakistani Air Defence units.
| UNIT | LOCATION | FORMATION | WEAPONS |
| PA Air Defence Center | Malir Cantt, Karachi | ||
| PAF Air Defence Command, | Chaklala, Rawalpindi | ||
| School Of Army Air Defence | Malir Cantt, Karachi | ||
| 3rd Air Defence Division | Sargodha | ||
| 4th Air Defence Division | Malir Cantt | ||
| 3rd Air Defence Brigade | Sargodha | 3rd AD Division | |
| 4th Air Defence Brigade | Lahore | 3rd AD Division | |
| 109th Air Defence Brigade | Multan | 4th AD Division | |
| 105th (I) Air Defence Brigade | |||
| 1 LOMAD Regiment | Malir^ | 4th AD Div | HQ-16 |
| 2 LOMAD Regiment^ | Bhawalpur^ | HQ-16 | |
| 3 LOMAD Regiment | Lahore^ | HQ-16 | |
| 4 HIMAD Regiment | 4th AD Div | HQ-9 | |
| 5 Lt AD | SAM | ||
| 6 Lt AD | Malsi Garrison | ||
| 13 Lt AD. | Peshawar Cantt | ||
| 19 SP/LT AD | |||
| 20 Medium AD | RBS-70 SAM on APC, Giraffe | ||
| 29 RCG AD | |||
| 36 Lt AD | |||
| 41 Med AD | |||
| 43 Lt AD | |||
| 44 SP AD | |||
| 51 Medium AD^ | Peshawar | ||
| 52 Medium AD | |||
| 58 Medium AD | |||
| 67 Lt SP AD | Multan Cantt | ||
| 74 Lt AD | SAM | ||
| 75 Lt AD^ | Peshawar^ | ||
| 75 RCG AD | |||
| 88 Lt AD | |||
| 89th SAM Regiment | FM90 | ||
| 90 Lt AD | |||
| 94 Lt AD | Mailsi Garrison, Punjab | SAM | |
| 95 Lt AD | Warsk Garrison, Peshawar | ||
| 96 LOMAD | AD Command^ | HQ-16 | |
| 97 RCG AD (I)^ | I Corps | Sky guard radar, Oerlikons | |
| 98 Lt AD | |||
| 100 Lt AD Gun SAM | Lahore Cantt | ||
| 100 Lt AD Gun | |||
| 102 Lt AD | Mangla/Gharial Camp, Murree | SAM | |
| 103 Lt AD | |||
| 104 Lt AD Gun | |||
| 106 AD Brigade | 6th Armd Div | ||
| 109 Lt^ Regiment | Malir cantt, Karachi | 4th AD Div | |
| 123 SCR AD | Ojhri Camp, Rawalpindi | ||
| 124 SCR AD | Multan | ||
| 125 SCR AD | |||
| 126 Lt AD (G/M) Regiment | Malir | ||
| 127 Medium AD | Malir cantt, Karachi | 4th AD Div | 37 mm gun, radar mast on truck |
| 133 RCG AD | Nowshera Cantt | ||
| 134 RCG AD | |||
| 135 Missile AD | |||
| 136 RCG AD | |||
| 140 Lt AD | |||
| 141 Lt AD or SAM | |||
| 142 Missile AD | Giraffe, RBS 70 | ||
| 143 Missile AD | Giraffe, RBS 70^ | ||
| 144 SP Light AD | 6th Armd Div | RBS-70 SAM on APC, Giraffe | |
| 145 Lt AD | |||
| 146 Lt SP AD | |||
| 147 Lt SP? AD | |||
| 148 SP Lt AD | |||
| 151 SP/Lt AD | Bahawalpur | ||
| 152 Lt AD | |||
| 153 Lt SP AD | Bahawalpur. | RBS-70 SAM on APC, Giraffe | |
| 154 SP AD | Bahawalpur. | 6th Armd Div | |
| 155 Light SP AD | Malir Cantt Karachi | ||
| 157 Lt AD | |||
| 156 Lt AD | |||
| 158 Lt AD | |||
| 159 Lt AD | Jhelum Cantt | SAM | |
| 160 RCG? AD | Multan Cant | ||
| 161 Lt RCG? AD | I Corps | ||
| 162 SCR | Malir | ||
| 187 Missile Regiment Artillery | Shahpr-II | ||
| 21st AD Battalion (Marine) | Manora/Ormara | Mistral SAM |