The first Agosta Submarine for Pakistan Navy was constructed at Names, France by Dubigeon Normandie.

The submarine was originally contracted for South African Navy, however due to UN embargo on arms sale
to South Africa, the submarine was sold to Pakistan Navy. The keel was laid on 15 September 1976 and the
submarine was launched on 14 December 1977. After completing harbour and diving safety trials, the submarine was commissioned as PNS/M HASHMAT by Admiral M Shariff , the then Chief of the Naval Staff, on
19 February 1979 at Lorient, France and allotted Pennant No S-135. Commander (later Vice Admiral) Abaid
Ullah Khan PN was appointed its first Commanding Officer. Later, sea trials were conducted at Toulon. After
successful completion of sea trials, PNS/M HASMAT sailed for Pakistan on 1 October and arrived Karachi on
30 October 1979.
PNS/M HASHMAT has remained the offensive punch of Pakistan Navy and participated in various major / multinational exercises includ- ing SEASPARK, NASEEM-AL-BAHR, TAMMAR-AL-THAYYAB and deployments in
the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and Sri Lanka over a period of time. In addition to
her special tasking, PNS/M HASHMAT conducted a number of independent deployments / patrols and
exercises
with
other PN Units to enhance the training of its crew and provided training op
portunities to the PN Fleet Units as well.

Courtesy: PN History Cell

NAVY
NEWS

CNS message on PN Submarine Force Golden

Jubilee year 2014

JANUARY 2014
Vol. 27

Contents
-P2

Issue 1

Editor-in-Chief:
Cdre Ir fan-ul-Haque SI (M)

Editors:
Cdr Zakir Hussain Khan PN
Lt Cdr Nazia Iqbal PN
Lt Zaheema Iqbal PN

Graphic Designers:
Sehrish Kamran
Fayaz Ahmed Abbasi

-P3

Naval Chief visits coastal

installations

Maritime Missteps

-P4/5

An article by Rear Admiral (Rtd) Pervaiz Asghar

-P6/7
PN year of Training - Closing Ceremony -P8/9
PN FLEET annual Efficiency
Competition Parade

Editorial Assistant:
Ghulam Ali Saqi
Ayaz Ahmed

Exercise ITTEHAD/
SEAHAWK-2

-P10

Composing:
Majid Nawaz

Photographers:

PNS KHAIBAR on goodwill cruise

Mohsin Nisar,Abdul Jabbar,

Dilawar Khan,Masroor Jafri,
Tanveer Ahmed, A.Hafeez,
Amanullah, M.Azam, Babur
Shahzad

Steel Cutting Ceremony of

12 Ton Bollard Pull Pusher Tug

Printed at Instant Print System (Pvt) Ltd.

Retirements /Promotions
Security- Facts & Fallacies
An article by Capt Gulzar PN

Public Relations
Directorate (Navy)
Naval

Headquarters
Islamabad
Te l : 0 5 1 - 2 0 0 6 2 7 8 2
Fax: 051-20062364
dpr-nav y@pak nav y.gov.pk

-P11

-P12
-P13
-P14/15

Navigation through changing environment

An article by Lt Cdr Asghar Ali

Captain Nemo & me

-P16/17
-P18

An article by Captain Javed Iqbal PN

Nav y N e w s
January 2014

On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Pakistan Navy

Submarine force, I congratulate the Submarine squadron and all the submariners for rendering meritorious
services in maritime defence of the country. Right from
its inception in 1964, the submarine service made the nation proud by confining Indian Navy fleet inside harbour
in 1965 war. PN submarine Hangor kept up the tradition
by sinking INS Khukri and crippling INS Kirpan during
1971 war, this being first major action by any submarine
after the World War-II.
PN Submarine force provides the Navy the much needed deterrent capability as well as the offensive punch so
needed to thwart the nefarious designs of our enemy.
We remain committed to the development of the submarine force and take it to new heights of glory in times to come.
As we celebrate the Golden Jubilee, I acknowledge the services and sacrifices made by Pakistans Submarine force towards impregnable defence of the motherland.
I am confident that the legacy of honour, courage and professionalism of veterans will continue to inspire the younger
generation of submariners in days to come.
I wish the submarine service best of luck in their professional
pursuits. May Allah be our protector and benefitor.

Nav y N e w s
C O M M AN D S U P DAT ES

January 2014

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila visited installations in coastal areas of Pasni, Gwadar and Ormara.
Commander Coast Rear Admiral Arifullah Hussaini accompanied the Naval Chief.
During his visit, the Admiral was given a briefing on the operational preparedness and earthquake relief efforts undertaken
by Pakistan Navy at Awaran.
Later, the Naval Chief interacted with the officers and men
and lauded the operational preparedness of units ashore and
deployed at sea for coastal defence of the country. He also
emphasized on the synergy between the departments employed along the coast for coastal security. He said that due
to challenges faced on maritime front, operational preparedness is our priority. The Admiral highlighted the importance
of Gwadar Port and marked as vital for the growth of national
economy. He added that all possible support will be provided
by Pakistan Navy for making Gwadar an operational port.

4 Nav y N e w s
January 2014

A D M I RA L S L O G
ready an hazard to navigation, and hence a decision was made to sink it before it runs aground,
which action was immediately carried out while
the stricken vessel was still 150 miles away from
land.

The maritime domain is a fascinating one. Just as there

are maritime marvels enveloped in its folds, it also features equal doses of maritime missteps. The recent case
studies which follow will hopefully enable the readers to
get a better feel of recurring tragedies in its hostile environment.
A
R y the

60-meter long Japanese fishing vessel, the

on-Un Maru, moored in the Aomori Prefecture
awaiting to be sold, was washed away by the
March 2011 tsunami. This vessel was among
1.5 million tonnes of debris thrown out
into the sea by the force of the tsunami. It
thereafter kept on drifting in the Pacific
Ocean as a ghost ship till it was spotted
nearly an year later by a routine Royal Canadian Air Force air patrol about 150
miles off the coast of British Columbia. Attempts
by a Canadian fishing vessel,
the Berenice C, to salvage the
derelict vessel and tow it away failed,
leaving the field open to the US
Coast Guard to deal with it as the
vessel had entered US waters
by this time. Being without
lights, the
vessel
was al-

A five year old Bahamian-flagged post-Panamax

container ship, the MOL Comfort, bound for Jeddah with a cargo of 4382 large containers, suddenly broke into two on 17 June 13 about 200 miles off
the coast of Yemen, when confronted with heavy
seas. Its 26 man crew were forced to abandon ship,
being subsequently rescued by another ship diverted to the scene by the areas safety coordinator. Remarkably though, both sections remained
afloat with the majority of the cargo intact. Four
ocean-going tugs arrived at the scene a week later
to tow the two sections to safety. The stern section
proved difficult to tackle as water started ingressing two days later resulting in its sinking. The tow
of the bow section was however in progress when
on 6 July a fire broke out in its rear part resulting
in its sinking also five blazing days later. The sinking of both the sections was a double tragedy as
it hampers the efforts of the investigators to get to
the bottom of the causes underlying the accident
as well as the fire.
A luxury liner MV Costa Concordia carrying 4229
people on board struck a reef off the Island of Giglio, Italy in January 2012, resulting in the loss of
32 lives. The disaster reportedly occurred because
of the Captains decision to alter course nearer to
land in order to carry out a sail past close to the
coast in deference to the wishes of his Maitre d
who happened to be a resident of the Island and
presumably to impress his Moldavian dancer friend
(reportedly travelling without a ticket), both of
whom were present on the bridge at the fateful
time. While deviating from the ships computerprogrammed route for this manoeuvre, the Captain appeared smug in his knowledge of the seabed but panicked when he saw waves breaking on
the Le Scole reef. The ships abrupt turn thereafter
resulted in swinging the side of the hull into the
reef, leaving a large irreparable gash. The vessel
started listing by 20 degrees to starboard with the

Nav y N e w s
A D M I RA L S L O G
angle of heel increasing to 70 degrees by the time
the ship came to rest. The water flooded the Engine
Room causing a loss of propulsive power as well as
a power blackout. As the Captain calmly ordered
dinner, worried passengers reportedly contacted
the Coast Guard which rushed to evacuate the passengers via helicopters. Cognizant of the gravity of
the situation, many crew members began readying
lifeboats and moving passengers long before the
Abandon Ship order was given, which while helping to save countless lives also ironically laid them
open to charges of mutiny. The collision occurred
around 21:42, the vessel came to rest by 22:44 and
less than an hour later while the evacuation of passengers was still underway, the Captain bolted,
claiming later that he had fallen down into the lifeboat and couldnt climb back again owing to the
ships list. A Coast Guard official could be clearly
heard repeatedly abusing the Captain and ordering him back to the vessel for taking charge of the
evacuation. The ship subsequently sank and it took
almost 10 months of painstaking salvage work to
just pull it upright. Permission was then taken to
open the hundreds of cabin safes, which were previously inaccessible, to enable the possessions to
be handed over to their rightful owners. The next
step is to salvage the wreck to be sold as scrap.
A cargo ship Delta Mariner, with a contract pilot on
board was making its way up the Tennessee river
when it suddenly struck a bridge and tore down a
322 ft section of the span. The pilot had surprisingly manoeuvered the ship towards the one lighted
span, without anyone on the ship wondering why
none of the other spans in a multi-span bridge
were visible. While the white warning lights on the
bridge had been out for several years and the other
lights too had gone out a few days prior to the incident, the tragedy could still have been averted had
the electronic charts available been consulted.
A fire broke out in the engine room of a cruise liner, the Carnival Triumph, leaving the ship dead in
the water and the 3000 odd passengers on board
stranded at sea in the Gulf of Mexico. Living conditions became absolutely deplorable, as apart
from the lack of propulsion, essential services like
air-conditioning, lighting, toilets, food preparation

January 2014

and for a time running water, became disrupted. Five

days were passed in absolute misery till the ship was
eventually towed to a US port( Mobile, Ala).
A freighter was sailing under the Jefferson Avenue
bridge on the river Rouge in Detroit when the drawbridge, which was being lifted, dropped down suddenly without warning on top of the passing ship. The
drawbridge operator was administered a breathalyzer
test and subsequently arrested after she flunked the
test.
A 21 yr old Filipino crew member aboard a Japanese
car carrier went into premature labour when the ship
was some 100 miles off the coast of California. An urgent request for medical assistance resulted in the
winching on board of a surgeon and a midwife by a
US Coast Guard helicopter, which ensured a safe birth.
A derelict and abandoned cruise ship. the MV Lyubov
Orlava, lies adrift in the North Atlantic since the past
year or so. The story began with the seizure of the ship
by the Canadian Authorities as part of a lawsuit by a
cruise operator against its Russian owners. After two
years, during which time the ship kept rusting in its
berth in St Johns, a private entrepreneur purchased it
for $275,000 in a Federal Court process. A family friend
thereafter took over the payments hoping to make a 3
to 4 hundred thousand dollars windfall by selling it as
scrap in the Dominican Republic. When the ship finally
left the Canadian shore, problems began soon enough:
the towing cable snapped, leaving the ship stranded
in international waters. A supply vessel engaged in the
offshore oil industry managed to briefly take the ship
under tow before it drifted off yet again. As the vessel
kept drifting towards the European coastline, Canadas
transport authority disavowed any responsibility as
the vessel was now under private ownership and had
moved beyond the countrys waters.

An article by
Rear Admiral (Rtd) Pervaiz Asghar

Nav y N e w s
January 2014

Pakistan Navy Annual Fleet Efficiency Competition Parade (ECP) for the year
2013 was held at PN Dockyard. Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila, Chief of the
Naval Staff graced the occasion as Chief Guest.
ECP is conducted annually by Pakistan Navy Fleet Command to mark the culmination of its operational year in which efficiency shields are awarded to
selected Fleet units based on their overall performance throughout the year.
While addressing the officers and men, Admiral Asif commended PN Fleet for
successfully achieving the set objectives and accomplishing all the assigned
tasks in a befitting manner. He particularly appreciated the Fleet for successfully conducting Joint exercises with PAF and Pakistan Navys Coastal Command which have enhanced inter and intra services coordination for Maritime Operations. Admiral Asif Sandila emphasized that a professional and a
combat ready Navy is a major component of national security and is vital to
safeguard the countrys maritime interests as well as economic prosperity.
The Chief Guest further stated that indigenous construction of second Fast
Attack Missile Craft and initiation of construction of a Fleet Tanker at KS&EW
is a significant step towards self reliance and will aid in enhancing capabili-

C O M M AN D s U P DAT E

ties of local industry. He

also mentioned that the induction of ATR-72 aircraft,
up gradation of SEAKING
helicopters and induction
of UAVs will significantly
enhance the Pakistan Navys capabilities. The Admiral highlighted that despite
financial constraints the
government is doing its utmost to provide essential
resources to fill in the capability gaps of Pakistan Navy
wherever required.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commander
Pakistan Fleet, Vice Admiral Khan Hasham Bin Saddique highlighted the Operational achievements of
the PN Fleet. He stated that
during the year 2013,
fleet
operations
were planned and
executed with a vision of being Ever
Ready Combat Ready: a
compulsion
imposed by
prevalent
opera-

Nav y N e w s
C O M M AN D s U P DAT E

tional environment. He also stated

that during the last year, Pakistan
Navy has actively participated in
several major Maritime exercises
including multinational exercises
AMAN-13 in Pakistan. Thamar al Tayab at Oman, Triton-13 at Australia
and Inspired Union in Pakistan besides other overseas deployments
to Far East, Mediterranean and Black
Seas to pursue our foreign policy objectives. He said that participation in
such exercises with foreign navies
not only enhanced Pakistan Navys
professional competence but has
also contributed towards the diplomatic objectives of the Government.
He said that today Pakistan Navy is
well geared up to defend the maritime interests of country and is better prepared to thwart all sorts of
threats in the maritime domain.

January 2014

Later the Chief of the Naval Staff gave away the prizes to winning
units. A large number of senior serving and retired Naval Officers
and men of Pakistan Navy attended the ceremony.

Nav y N e w s
January 2014

C O M M AN D S U P DAT E

PN year of Training - Closing

Ceremony
Training is the most important peace time activity. We all are familiar with the quotation The more
you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war. It is
therefore of utmost important that all PN personnel
should undergo requisite theoretical and practical
training in their respective fields.
In sync with the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff;
year 2013 was designated as, The Year of Training
with the aim To enhance the professional standards
of PN through better trained individuals and teams
in 2013. The objectives laid down were.
- Professional improvement of the individuals especially the instructors.
-Improving professional standards of PN schools and
institutes through a systematic process evaluation.
- Improving the curriculum of all trades in line with
the modern contemporary trends/developments.
- Development of documentation related to training.
- Technical/workmanship skills.
- Improving individual standards in handling emergencies like fire fighting, CPR and security.
- Ethical training and motivation of all PN personnel.
- Physical fitness.

In order to achieve the aim and objectives set out, the

Year of Training (YOT) was divided into three phases.
The focus during the first Phase was to reinvigorate
the fundamental skills of individuals. During the 2nd
Phase, professional and trade wise competitions for
officers and men were conducted, thus enhancing
the professional acumen of the individual in a competitive environment. Having honed the basics and
professional skills, the 3rd and culminating Phase,
which encompassed sea competitions, provided opportunity for teams to participate enthusiastically towards achieving professional excellence.
Concurrently, the inspection and evaluation of all
training schools was also conducted which provided
an excellent opportunity to assess the instructors
quality, review the training methodology and propose a roadmap for achieving further professional
excellence.
Series of individual trade wise competitions and individual/collective professional and sports competitions
were held during 2nd and 3rd Phase of YOT. The concept in trade wise and professional competitions was
to recognize the best individuals (officers, CPOs/Pos &

Nav y N e w s
C O M M AN D S U P DAT E

Ldg/
blew
and civilians)
in respective trades/
professions. Similarly, the
concept for practical sea competitions
was based on unit performing best on the day
of competition. Sports events were also conducted to emphasize the importance of physical fitness. These events provided opportunity
to inculcate physical fitness culture amongst PN
personnel so as to improve the overall physical
fitness standards in PN.
A total of 125 competitions were held throughout the year in which more than 2000 personnel including officers, CPOs, POs, Ldgs/below
and civilians from various branches and trades
participated. Amongst these, 373 individuals
were awarded with certificate of merit and 19
shields/trophies were awarded to units winning professional/practical sea competitions.
The conduct of these competitions not only
generated professional/trade level healthy
competitive spirit, motivation and sense of
ownership amongst the participants but
also provided opportunity to refresh, rebuild and re-invigorate their professional
knowledge.
In nutshell, the conduct of Year of Training provided an excellent opportunity to
critically analyze the training process and
functions. It has helped towards identifying weak links and also towards further development of strengths.
All commands and training units put in their best
for successful conduct of a large number of activities besides their normal yearly commitments.

January 2014

This
however
would not have been
possible without whole hearted and enthusiastic participation of
personnel including civilian staff under
the respective Admin Authorities.

7
9

10 Nav y N e w s
January 2014

C O M M AN D S U P DAT E
Exercise ITTEHAD/SEAHAWK-2 conducted
from 16 to 21 Dec 13 was a major field level
exercise involving Fleet Command, Coastal
Command, Logistic Command, and PAF assets. The aim of the exercise was to validate
various operational concepts, crystallize
Ops/tactical plans and refine Intra PN Commands and bi-services (PN-PAF) components of the PN war plans under prevailing
environment.
The exercises provided a valuable opportunity to rehearse various offensive and defensive concepts for seaward defence and
protection of vital SLOCs. PN units were organized into two opposing forces to conduct different harbour and sea evolutions
during stages of the exercise. The professional conduct and display by various segments during the exercise is expected to
go a long way in improving PN operational
preparedness.

Nav y N e w s
C O M M AN D S U P DAT E

To strengthen and further augment the hosted by Shanghai Institute of

time tested and decades-old friend- International Studies.
ship, PNS KHAIBAR made goodwill visit
During the Khaibar s visit Comto China, Thailand and Srilanka.
manding officer welcomed all
During Chinas visit, the Ships Com- guests onboard and while exmanding Officer said that the level pressing his views said that exof cooperation between PLA (N) and change of such high level visits
Pakistan Navy has enhanced manifold between the two countries is a
during recent years. Additionally the hallmark of this close relationship.
cooperation and assistance being pro- The visit of PN ship is a manifestavided in the field of research and de- tion of ongoing collaboration the
velopment by the Chinese industry in further reiterated that brotherly
order to facilitate defense related joint relations between Pakistan and
ventures has also increased in the re- Thailand will grow further and
cent past. He further said that the visit strengthen manifolds in times to
will further open new vistas for future come.
cooperation and coordination in the reDuring visit to Srilanka, the CO
gion.
highlighted the importance of PN
During visit COMCOAST
along
Ship visit to Srilanka and said that
with Commanding Officer
the aim is to further cement the
PNS KHAIBAR, Defense
already close bilateral relations
Attach, Naval
between the two countries and
Attach
and
to give further flip to already
other officers
close ties between the two Naattended
vies.
i nte rac t ive
seminar

January 2014

11

12 Nav y N e w s
January 2014

I N D I G EN I Z AT I O N

Steel cutting ceremony of 12 T BT Pusher Tug being

constructed for Pakistan Navy, was held at Karachi
Shipyard & Engineering Works. Commander Karachi
graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The ceremony
was attended by high ranking officials / dignitaries
from Pakistan Navy, Government Authorities, Corporate Sector and KS & EW.

He assured
that Pakistan
Navy will continue to provide
all support to Karachi Shipyard in its endeavours to become a major regional shipbuilding hub.

Earlier MD KS&EW, in his welcome address said that

steel cutting of this tug has been performed in advance of the contractual timeline and this project
has the complete self-sufficiency in construction activities viz a viz no technical assistance from foreign
yard is being sought. He further said that presently
KS&EW is undertaking construction of 5 shipbuilding
projects which includes 17000 Tons Fleet Tanker, two
dence Fast Attack Missile Craft, one 32 tons bollard pull Tug
o
f (which is ready for delivery) and twenty two bridge
Pakistan erection boats for Pak Army.
Navy in the caThe pusher tug has 16.89 meter overall length with a
pabilities of Karachi Shipyard for indigenous congross tonnage of 63 tons. It is fitted with a robust fenstruction of ships meeting stringent quality requiredering arrangement for all round tugging operations
ments.
for submarines ships and crafts.
He appreciated the efforts of KS&EW management
and workforce for timely completion of all shipbuilding, ship repair and general engineering projects.
O n the

occasion,
cur-

the Chief Guest said that seing order for construction of

3 r d tug of same type
in span of 2 years
reflects
full
confi-

Nav y N e w s
R e ti r e m e n t s / P r omotio n s

Farewell to Whites

January 2014

Vice Admiral SAYYID KHAWAR ALI HI (M)

retires from service
In Honour of your Service, You will be long Remembered!
May you have smooth sailing and following seas.

Recently, Commodore Moazzam Ilyas and

Commodore Muhammad Amjad have
been promoted to the rank of Rear Admirals.
Rear Admiral Moazzam Ilyas was commissioned in the Operations Branch of Pakistan Navy in Dec
1984. His notable appointments include Command of Guided Missile Destroyers PNS BABUR & BADR and Fast Attack Missile Boats JALALAT,
HIMMAT and HAIBAT. His staff appointments included Assistant Chief of Naval Staff
(Operations), Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Plans) and Chief Staff Officer to Commander Pakistan Fleet. He has also served as Naval & Air Attach at Iran.In recognition of his meritorious services, he has been awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military). He
has been re -appointed as Commander North Navy (COMNOR).
Rear Admiral Muhammad Amjad was commissioned in the Operations Branch
of Pakistan Navy in June 1985 and won the coveted Sword of Honour. His Command appointment includes Commanding two Frigates PNS BADR & PNS TARIQ and
18th Destroyer Squadron. His staff appointments include Director Naval Operations
at Naval Headquarters and Principal Secretary to Chief of the Naval Staff. The Admiral has also performed the duties of Chief Naval Overseer at Shanghai (China).
In recognition of his meritorious services, he has been awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz
(Military) & Sitara-e-Basalat. He has also been conferred with the French Medal
Chevalier (Knight) by Government of France. Presently,he has been appointed
as Deputy chief of Naval staff ( Trg & Evaluation)

13

14

Nav y N e w s
January 2014

w
An effective
security
regime is a mix of
alert & skilled
humans,robust
technology and
w e l l - w o r ke d
out procedures.
Over reliance
on any one of
the component
is dangerous as
it lopsides the
entire regime.

L I T ERARY

An article by
Capt Gulzar PN
e live in a world that is unbelievably different from what it was merely 10-15 years
ago. The phenomenal growth of technology has led to proliferation of information
and interconnectivity down to the lowest rung of every society. Technology has
added variety and comfort to all aspects
of our lives. But the grim reality is that all
this has a dark side to it as well.

very recent incidents which dawn upon

us of how cleverly miscreants managed
to outsmart the security checks and almost achieved their objectives.

Security has thus become buzz word today and virtually everything is surrounded by a mist of insecurity. Never before
we had heard the terms like; human security, food security, environmental seToday, the world is gripped by seemingly curity etc. We need to take stock of this
endless chaos and crises, more profound- changed reality and adapt our lifestyles
ly than ever before. The very information at both individual and organizational
highway that exposes and connects us to levels accordingly.
outside world has become the basis of our
Security cannot be termed as a past time
social, political and communal upheavactivity. It is a job to be accomplished
als. Boundaries have become blurred and
under all conditions at all times. And benationalities are becoming increasingly
cause it is a 24/7 activity, security is hard
redundant. International bloggers, chat
to come by. Working in similar surroundgroups, social websites etc wield more inings with same faces appearing over and
fluence on individuals than the traditional
over again, monotony sets in the security
ethos and values.
personnel rather early. Plus the fact that
All this has impacted on the crime world security fundamentally remains a reacas well and today criminal gangs oper- tive activity, you cant react unless someate with remarkable ease transcending thing suspicious happens. The two conall borders and barriers. Non-state Actors tribute to add to the vulnerability and
and outfits have developed the capacity volatility of a security regime. Thus, we
to defy a states authority and wage an up- expect more incidents of inadvertent firfront and sustained war. Miscreants have ings, false alarms and even blue on blue
become highly inventive and innovative cases, when it comes to security.
employing unique means and measures
An effective security regime is a mix of
to further their designs. The examples of
alert & skilled humans, robust technolcartridge, underwear and shoe bombs are
ogy and well-worked out procedures.

Nav y N e w s
L I T ERARY

Over reliance on any one of the component is

dangerous as it lopsides the entire regime. Perimetric security barrier while on one hand provides near-assured security, also strengthens the
resolve and adds to the cleverness of miscreants.
The Perimetric Security System although erected
at the outermost perimeter of any installation is
often taken as the first line of defence whereas
infact, it is the last. We must endeavour to quell
the threat well before it reaches our perimeter
which is achieved through proactively dominating the area beyond while keeping the security
system fully functional. Putting it more simple
, role of perimeter security is quite like that of
a goalkeeper in soccer. The objective is to keep
ones own goalkeeper redundant and keep the
game in other half. But we all know, no team ever
compromises on the quality of its goalkeeper.
Likewise, we cannot afford to compromise on our
security perimeter through we would like to keep
it redundant.

January 2014

is able to do this and does not need any formal

training. And it is this attribute which makes security an all-inclusive task instead of confining it
to just a few in the unit.

Every one of us has a part to play when it comes

to security. Security is indivisible. Its significance
is only realized when security is breached but
There is a general tendency to stereotype the se- that is rather late and rather little one can do to
curity breach based on last catastrophe. Whereas redress it.
the fact is that miscreants always think ahead of
the security managers and devise new ways to
The very information highway
surprise them. More so for us in arms, who are
that exposes and connects us
quite used to respond as per a pre-defined SOP,
the tendency to get fixated on past incident is
to outside world has become
even harder to go away. Thus a single solution
template is not the answer and our security rethe basis of our social, political
sponse must be strong yet flexible enough to caand communal upheavals.
ter various eventualities instead of trying to prevent the repeat of last breach.
Security cannot be termed as a
Security is enhanced a million times if an effective
intelligence and surveillance mechanism is functioning. Intelligence provides us concrete indicators much like nature warns us of any impending
storm. Alert and smart persons can pick up these
and piece together to form a picture. Anyone
with a slightest of vigilance and responsibility

past time activity. It is a job to

be accomplished under all conditions at all times.

15

y News
16 Nav
January 2014

L I T ERARY

Entering or leaving a ports of call; approaching an anchorage or a waiting berth; transiting the unknown
waters or heavy traffic areas; these are the times
when Captain of a ship, irrespective of its size overall or gadgetry onboard, has to show tough nerves
and quick grasp of situation to keep the ship moving
and safe, And these are the occasions, when Captain
should professionally be assisted by a well qualified and experienced person
known as the Navigator.

all the most important, record keeping and updating

books and publications.
Bridge of all the ships, being the control center, will
surely have a chart table located conveniently in the
center, lit appropriately for day and night, lined beautifully with various manuals for easy reference and
having convenient access to wings and bridge top for
observations and reporting.

Maritime Navigation is
the mother of all forms
and manifestations of
navigation including the
black box guiding us in
our cars from road to road
and turn to turn.

Maritime Navigation is the

mother of all forms and manifestations of navigation including the black box guiding us in our cars from road to
road and turn to turn. Imagine
the times when sailors wanted to navigate far away from
the coastal features and done away with practices of
land-farers for moving from one place to other. Seafarers started looking for stars, meridians, sea-contours and streams.

Here is the Navigator on bridge and

now Captain is relaxed knowing that he
need not worry about position of the
ship, tide and current, wind and swell,
DR and FIX, books and publications,
steering and engines, gyros and sounders, wings and tops, anchors and ropes,
XO or WK, and this and that.

Then here blows the changing winds

bringing in screens and gadgets, processors and
displays, controllers and autopilots, digits and
decimals,defects and breakdowns, accuracy standards and inbuilt errors, accidents and flukes, casualties and horrors.

This led to the practices of Navigators Hand Book,

morning and evening star-shoots and fixing, dead Just remind yourself the incidents happening in sucreckoning (DR) and updating positioning (FIX), and cession and with continuity like ship mast breaking

Nav y N e w s
January 2014

L I T ERARY

An article by Lt Cdr Asghar Ali

along overhead bridge, passenger ferry rising high on shallow
ground, oil tanker going off-track
and far-off, corvette kissing fishing boat, survey vessel surveying
shallow areas, and a fast ferry ferrying along road transport.

never forgets to use his own judgment for co-relation and usage of
all the information available; he
follows the navigational practices
of check and re-check; and above
all, he has backing and support of
his Captain as was the practice for
all known times.

Present day Navigator should have

motivation and acceptance to learn
the changing environment; should
not be pre-occupied with decimals
while forgetting
about
changing
digits on GPS,
AIS, displays and
consoles.

What has happened to maritime

navigation? Fact remains mari- Lets navigate the ship from port
time navigation has become eas- to port and point to point with
ier than ever, but
not easy enough Fact remains that maritime
for all onboard to
become naviga- navigation has become eas
tors. There has to ier than ever, but not easy
be only one Navi- enough for all onboard to
gator
onboard
who needs to do become Navigators.
it after learning
and who learns by doing it.
same style and safety as has been
the hallmark of navigators at sea.
Present day Navigator should
have motivation and acceptance
to learn the changing environment; should not be pre-occupied
with decimals while forgetting
*The writer has specialized in maritime naviabout changing digits on GPS, AIS,
gation and directions and has been an indisplays and consoles; he should
structor for pre- and post-sea courses ashore.
zoom out to appropriate scale after zooming in for some details;
he should pick and choose the inputs for computers and setting for
displays as appropriate and commensurate to the task in land: he

17

18 January 2014

Nav y N e w s
L I T ERARY

CAPTAIN NEMO & ME!

By Captain Javaid Iqbal PN

A Submarine service volunteer recalls the saga of his selection interview that he had ditched!
On the surface, they can still exercise their iniquitous laws, fight, devour each other, and indulge in all their
earthly horrors. But thirty feet below the sea surface, their power ceases, their influence fades, and their dominion vanishes. Ah, Monsieur, to live in the bosom of the sea! .There I recognize no master! There I am free!

o the uninitiated, Captain Nemo

has nothing to do with the Finding Nimo of Disney fame. He is
the legendry Captain Nemo, the
Commanding Officer of fictional
Submarine Nautilus. The character and the novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
were conceived by Jules Verne
way back in 1870. Even though
the experimental submarine had
been invented much before, it
was this novel that romanticized
the
lean-mean-fighting-machine-the-submarine in the general publics eyes.

Captain Nemo to Professor Aronnax in

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
Years before joining the Navy,
I came across face to face with
Captain Nemo and immediately
decided that I would be a submariner like him; independent,
fierce yet merciful! It was a long
train journey by night and I was
so mesmerized by Jules Vernes
novel that I read it in one go.
To cut a long story short there I
was in 1993 in COMSUBS office,
together with my course mate,
having tucked recently earned
BWKC under our armpits and
pleading that we may be allowed
to sail in the wake of Captain
Nemo. Alas! It was not to be!
To my horror and dismay,
the interviewer flimsily
said that since we had
already become Lieutenants (having earned
plenty months seniority
ahead of peers) so technically they could not
take us as trainee! I

learnt later that probably it was

one of those times when criteria
trumps the merit and fate takes
charge of destiny! Dejected I
walked back to my ship, but since
then the ancient spirit of Captain
Nemo lives on in me.
On the Golden Jubilee of Pakistan
Navy Submarine Service I have
culled this memory from the sea
chest to honour my comrades
who daily face up to even bigger
challenges than Captain Nemo.
They are the cutting edge of the
sword arm of our Fleet. They are
the reason that the Navy exists. In
fact, they are the Navy.
They did nation proud in 1965
and 1971. And they remain eager
to again take the war to enemy
shores. Like the legendary Nautilus, they remain ever ready to
drill through the enemy when
the hour strikes. I so wish I could
be one of them!