PAKISTAN NAVAL AVIATION (PN) • Pakistan Bahria
Navy ε30,000 personnel (including approximately 3,200 Marines). Naval Aviation Command.
Forces by Role & Equipment by Type
Naval Aviation Command
• AIRCRAFT 10 combat capable.
Anti-Submarine Warfare & Maritime Patrol with 10–13 ac:
- 6–7 Lockheed P-3C/B Orion
- 4 ATR 72 (MPA)
- (Note: 2 Embraer Lineage 1000 airframes are currently undergoing conversion to the specialized "Sea Sultan" MPA variant)
Special Mission & Reconnaissance with 1–7 ac:
- 1 Raytheon Hawker 850 (Recce)
- (Note: 6 legacy Fokker F-27-200 MPA were recorded in earlier inventories but are omitted from 2026 primary directories, indicating they may be phased out or non-operational)
Transport with 1 ac:
• HELICOPTER Total approx. 33 Helicopters.
Anti-Submarine Warfare (Helicopters) with 10–12 hel:
- 7 Harbin Z-9C Haitun
- 3–4 Westland Sea King Mk45
- 2 Mil Mi-14
Multi-role & Search & Rescue (Helicopters) with 21 hel:
- 15 Westland Sea King (including HAR3/HC4 and Commando variants)
- 6–7 Aerospatiale SA316/319 Alouette III
• UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (ISR)
Coastal Defence
- Missiles: 1 AShM regt equipped with Zarb (YJ-62) anti-ship cruise missiles.
Armament
- Anti-Ship Missiles (AShM): AM39 Exocet; CM-302 (YJ-12A); C-802A; RGM-84 Harpoon.
- Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM): FM-90N (CH-SA-N-4); HHQ-7; LY-80N (Operated from ship-based VLS).
Note: By 2026, Pakistan Naval Aviation is focused on a major recapitalization effort to modernize its long-range maritime patrol fleet by transitioning from the legacy P-3C platform to the ATR 72 MPA and the indigenous Sea Sultan (Lineage 1000) platforms. This force plays a critical role in the protection of Pakistan's sea-based nuclear weapons and the security of its Exclusive Economic Zone.
4/5 Generation Fighters 
