Pak Navy’s Weakest Link: Aging Helicopters, What are the Options?

[Faani83]

In this episode, Islamabad Files tried its best to overview Pakistan Navy’s naval aviation helicopter fleet, which is rapidly aging, with Sea King and Alouette helicopters averaging 40 years in service and facing severe maintenance, sensor, and avionics limitations. Here, with production lines closed and spare support shrinking, these exiting helicopter platforms are increasingly unsustainable for modern naval warfare. As maritime threats intensify in the Arabian Sea — especially from submarines and surface combatants — the Pakistan Navy urgently needs modern, multi-role maritime helicopters. Islamabad Files also analyse the possibilities of replacing exiting helicopters from alternatives like Chinese platforms such as Z-9WE/ZM and Z-20J/F, along with upgraduation of Z-9EC and induction of unmanned rotary UAVs, offer cost-effective, sanction-resistant, and future-ready solutions. For Pakistan Navy, modern maritime helicopters are no longer a luxury but a strategic requirement.

Islamabad Files is an independent and impartial platform that provides audiences information and analysis, based on facts on topics such as wars, security, defense, tech and news from around the world. It is a joint collaboration of credible journalists namely Mr. Khalid Mehmood, Mr. Muhammad Imran and Mr. Faisal Raza Khan.#KhalidMehmood is a well known working journalist since the year 1992, having a more than thirty years experience.#MuhammadImran is another well-known young and respected face in the field of investigative journalism since the year 1999.#FaisalRazaKhan is award winning journalist having an almost thirty years experience as a professional journalist.All 'Islamabad Files' platforms are produced, presented and run by SNS (Pvt.) Limited.

 

[Yasser76]

Been saying this on the forum for years

 

[Aamir Hussain]

The analysis is seriously "Paidal" aka mediocre! Very few defence analysts in Pakistan have value otherwise all else are just either mouth pieces or sound-bites.

 

[Zephyrus]

There was noise of possible AW159 Wildcat inductions a few years ago but that never materialized, NH90s were tested and found to be lacking with regards to ruggedness when compared to SeaKings and more SeaKings were eventually acquired.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Been saying this on the forum for years

With the new command established for all 3 forces(I can't recall the exact name)...
...I'm hoping one of the outcomes would be standardization of equipment.
...for example in the recent past both navy and air force could've coordinated on the type of aircraft used for AWACS(Erieye) and MPA(Sea Sultan). Same aircraft platform but different sensor suite per requirements...
...same can be achieved for helicopters. One platform for medium helicopters and one for heavy...
..while trying to have a domestic effort of a JV for light helicopters.

 

[kimjongun]

Frankly my brother had an offer to fly in an operational sea king but he refused it at age 10 or 11 (he was scared ) he still regrets his decision.

 

[Zephyrus]

If there were a committee formed for acquisition of a New Maritime Helicopter and I had say in that process, I would have gone with either Z-18F or the AW101 Merlin (Optimally I would've gone with the Merlin, but unlike the Z-18, merlin would've come with lots of strings attached) as a replacement for the SeaKing and for the Z-9 I would've gone with the Z-20F. SA316/319 would've been replaced with Fennecs.

 

[Auqab13]

In this episode, Islamabad Files tried its best to overview Pakistan Navy’s naval aviation helicopter fleet, which is rapidly aging, with Sea King and Alouette helicopters averaging 40 years in service and facing severe maintenance, sensor, and avionics limitations. Here, with production lines closed and spare support shrinking, these exiting helicopter platforms are increasingly unsustainable for modern naval warfare. As maritime threats intensify in the Arabian Sea — especially from submarines and surface combatants — the Pakistan Navy urgently needs modern, multi-role maritime helicopters. Islamabad Files also analyse the possibilities of replacing exiting helicopters from alternatives like Chinese platforms such as Z-9WE/ZM and Z-20J/F, along with upgraduation of Z-9EC and induction of unmanned rotary UAVs, offer cost-effective, sanction-resistant, and future-ready solutions. For Pakistan Navy, modern maritime helicopters are no longer a luxury but a strategic requirement.

Islamabad Files is an independent and impartial platform that provides audiences information and analysis, based on facts on topics such as wars, security, defense, tech and news from around the world. It is a joint collaboration of credible journalists namely Mr. Khalid Mehmood, Mr. Muhammad Imran and Mr. Faisal Raza Khan.#KhalidMehmood is a well known working journalist since the year 1992, having a more than thirty years experience.#MuhammadImran is another well-known young and respected face in the field of investigative journalism since the year 1999.#FaisalRazaKhan is award winning journalist having an almost thirty years experience as a professional journalist.All 'Islamabad Files' platforms are produced, presented and run by SNS (Pvt.) Limited.

helicopters in this day and age of warfare are pretty much only good for medevac or logistic roles. I honestly don't think the combat game for helis is really that important in this generation of warfare. Could be wrong, I am not military, I just do not see them being used on current fronts like Ukraine.

 

[Yasser76]

If there were a committee formed for acquisition of a New Maritime Helicopter and I had say in that process, I would have gone with either Z-18F or the AW101 Merlin (Optimally I would've gone with the Merlin, but unlike the Z-18, merlin would've come with lots of strings attached) as a replacement for the SeaKing and for the Z-9 I would've gone with the Z-20F. SA316/319 would've been replaced with Fennecs.

Merlin may be too big for Yarmook and Barbur class

 

[Yasser76]

helicopters in this day and age of warfare are pretty much only good for medevac or logistic roles. I honestly don't think the combat game for helis is really that important in this generation of warfare. Could be wrong, I am not military, I just do not see them being used on current fronts like Ukraine.

Still useful for over the horizon targeting but as ship radars get more powerful and ship missiles have longer range you could be right, usefulness of shipbornd choppers in anti-ship warfare has decreased.

They can offer valuable extra support for sub hunting though, and as you say, provide flexibility for anti-poracy, anti-terror, humanitarian and logistics roles

 

[rafale]

Still useful for over the horizon targeting but as ship radars get more powerful and ship missiles have longer range you could be right, usefulness of shipbornd choppers in anti-ship warfare has decreased.

They can offer valuable extra support for sub hunting though, and as you say, provide flexibility for anti-poracy, anti-terror, humanitarian and logistics roles

A helicopter is always a faster vector in unusual or emergency situations........a helicopter need not only to provide surveillance or targeting capabilities but rather support as well.

It is better to launch a helicopter to quickly assess a situation such maritime fire or rescue rather than relying on launching boats.

 

[Metal 0-1]

helicopters in this day and age of warfare are pretty much only good for medevac or logistic roles. I honestly don't think the combat game for helis is really that important in this generation of warfare. Could be wrong, I am not military, I just do not see them being used on current fronts like Ukraine.

Hurr Durr Muh Drones Multi Domain Ops.

It's just really fancy way of saying Combined Arms Warfare.
If helicopters were obsolete US Navy and Army's 160th SOAR wouldn't have have invested Billions in really sophisticated variants of MH-60s.
And China wouldn't have copied exact same variants as US MH-60 variants with their Z-20 lineup


Now back to topic Temu Seahawks aka Z-20J/F are perfect choice for our Navy

It's perfect for naval utility, maritime search and rescue, ASW/AShW, Special Ops and VBSS it checks all the boxes.

Helicopter design really peaked with Sikorsky S-70..

 

[Yasser76]

Hurr Durr Muh Drones Multi Domain Ops.

It's just really fancy way of saying Combined Arms Warfare.
If helicopters were obsolete US Navy and Army's 160th SOAR wouldn't have have invested Billions in really sophisticated variants of MH-60s.
And China wouldn't have copied exact same variants as US MH-60 variants with their Z-20 lineup


Now back to topic Temu Seahawks aka Z-20J/F are perfect choice for our Navy

It's perfect for naval utility, maritime search and rescue, ASW/AShW, Special Ops and VBSS it checks all the boxes.

Helicopter design really peaked with Sikorsky S-70..

Issue is much of the fleet has NATO/Western systems (Yarmoo, Barbur, OHP), even Jinnah class may have Turkish radars and electronics. How does that sync with Z-20s?

 

[Metal 0-1]

If we eat grass and save up enough money to buy actual MH-60R/S it won't be compatible with Chinese Origin Frigates and sub systems which are going to be at frontlines so compromise have to be made.

With Z-20 we can ask the Chinese to make these aviation assets talk to other assets albeit with translator nodes we can't do that with MH-60.

Air Force is doing it well with that Link-17 to have at least 1-Way communication between Saab-2000 and JF-17s.

Navy can work out on a solution to have a ATR-72 or Sea Sultan up in the air as translator.

 

[Yasser76]

If we eat grass and save up enough money to buy actual MH-60R/S it won't be compatible with Chinese Origin Frigates and sub systems which are going to be at frontlines so compromise had to be made.

With Z-20 we can ask the Chinese to make these aviation assets talk to other assets albeit with translator nodes we can't do that with MH-60.

Air Force is doing it well with that Link-17 to have at least 1-Way communication between Saab-2000 and JF-17s.

Navy can work out on a solution to have a ATR-72 or Sea Sultan up in the air as translator.

Yeah, we need a JF-17 like data solution here. Ideally Chinese and Turkish/Pak platforms all need to be able to sync.

MH-60 is very nice but US will not let us play around with it in terms of data links and equipment.

Maybe like we created Sea Sultan instead of P-8, we can create a unique Pak solution instead of NH-60/S-70.

I think AW139 is a good platform for this. Large enough for decent payload carriage but small enough to fit onto all vessels. Massively helps PA/PAF use it too, Italians will let us "Pakinize" it like we did with their help on ATRs and Sea Sultans