The Pakistan Navy Station Mehran, commonly known as the PNS Mehran, is a

naval air station A Naval Air Station (NAS) is a military air base, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of a navy (Naval aviation). These bases are typically populated by squadron ...

that is the headquarters of the Pakistan Navy's air arm located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in 1975, the naval base shares its jurisdiction with the PAF Base Faisal of the

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...

and the

Faisal Cantonment The Faisal Cantonment () previously known as Drigh Road Cantonment is a cantonment town of the city of Karachi, in Sindh, Pakistan. It serves as a Pakistan Air Force base and residential establishment. History The PAF Base, a critical British ...

of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

. In addition, the PNS ''Mehran'' is also the distinguished itself as the "Naval Aviation Training School (NATS)" that provides education and training to navy's personnel to be qualified as naval aviators.

History

On 13 September 1975, the senior fleet commander released commissioning orders of the PNS Mehran with the project delegated to

Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers The Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers is a military administrative and the engineering staff branch of the Pakistan Army. The Corps of Engineers is generally associated with the civil engineering works, dams, canals, and flood protection, ...

and the Military Engineering Services (MES) build the base and its support facilities. Constructed on an accelerated schedule, the command post of the PNS ''Mehran'' was completed on the 25 September 1975 which allowed the commissioning of the PNS ''Mehran'' on 26 September 1975. The Pakistan Naval Air Arm is roughly modeled on the British

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

with British Sea King from the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

joining the service with the Pakistan Navy. The PNS ''Mehran'' saw its first commanding officer, Captain Fazl Rab (PN No. 456) in 1975, and was the first naval air station in the country. Since 1990, the PNS ''Mehran'' scope has been expanded and was the first aviation base that had attained the night operational aerial capabilities. The PNS ''Mehran'' was also the site of the targeted terrorist incident when it was attacked by the TTP, which the navy suffered collateral loss of its expensive assets. The attack was widely seen as a repercussion of U.S. Navy's operation that killed killed

Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden (10 March 19572 May 2011) was a militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, Bin Laden participated in the Afghan ''mujahideen'' against the Soviet Union, and support ...

.Navy base attack: Attack linked with bus bombings, not Osama – The Express Tribune
/ref> The PNS ''Mehran'' is a headquarters of the Pakistan Navy's Air Arm whereas the Commander Naval Aviation (COMNAV) also commands and report the unit from the PNS ''Mehran''.

Naval Aviation Training School

The Naval Aviation Training School (NATS) is located in the premises of the PNS ''Mehran'' that provides education, training, qualifications, and certifications to the navy's personnel to be passed out as "naval aviators." The School is commanded by the Officer Commanding Naval Aviation Training School (OC NATS). The school is mandated to train surface fleet officers and the enlisted personnel to meet the various requirements of shipborne flight operations, specifically the rotary-wing aircraft. The School also conducts joint training with the Pakistan Air Force to provide certification to its personnel to earned their pins after completing and passing out from the Air Navigators Course.

References

External links

PNS Mehran

* Pakistan Navy

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pns Mehran Mehran Military installations in Karachi Airports in Karachi Military logistics of Pakistan