KARACHI: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Zakaullah on Friday, while performing the groundbreaking ceremony of the 21st Air Defence Battalion, said that air defence was being prioritised by the Pakistan Navy and all efforts were being made to modernise the equipment, a statement released by the Pakistan Navy stated.
The air defence unit will be based in Ormara and will be attached to Coastal Command. The unit was raised in 2005 to provide ground-based air defence to all Pakistan Navy and designated national infrastructure. The groundbreaking ceremony marks commencement of construction work for permanent and dedicated infrastructure of the unit.
In order to undertake the assigned task, the battalion is equipped with state-of-the-art air defence guns, surface-to-air missiles and air defence radars.
In his address on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah lauded the efforts of all those involved in “this project of critical significance”. The naval chief said that within the overall developmental plans of PN, air defence “stands out to be a clear priority of Naval Headquarters and all endeavours are being made to modernise this important segment of Coastal Command to contribute significantly towards the defence of the country”.
Commander Coast also highlighted the salient features of the project and said the development of dedicated infrastructure for the unit would “lead to further efficiency and effectiveness to counter any challenge to our motherland from any potential aerial threat”.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by senior naval officers, personnel and civil dignitaries.
Published in Daily Times, July 15th , 2017.
