Engineering:Air Weapons Complex

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Air Weapons Complex
Active18 February 1992
Country Pakistan
Branch Pakistan Air Force
TypeResearch and Development
Part ofPakistan Air Force
HeadquarterWah Cantonment, Punjab, Pakistan
Nickname(s)AWC
Commanders
Director-GeneralAir Vice Marshal Faheem Kayani

The Air Weapons Complex (AWC) (Urdu: فضائی اسلحہ کمپلیکس‎) is a scientific research and development military complex engage in explosive engineering, specifically in airborne system. The AWC is operated and controlled by the Pakistan Air Force as its military unit that is dedicated towards developing and integrating the aerospace warfighting technologies and providing warfighting capabilities to the Pakistan Air Force.[1][2]

Since its establishment in 1992, the AWC has designed and developed the air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) for the Air Force and participated in technical demonstrations in conjunction with nation's major defense contractors such as NESCOM, DESTO, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).[3][4]

Products

Airborne systems

Air-launched weaponry

  • Practice bombs (6 kg, 11 kg)
  • 250 kg Pre-fragmented bomb
  • 250 kg Mk.82 general-purpose bomb
  • 500 kg Mk.83 bomb
  • 1000 kg Mk.84 bomb
  • Mk.80 series general-purpose bomb tail units (low drag or high drag speed-retarding devices)
  • HAFR-1, HAFR-2[6] and RPB-1 anti-runway weapons[7]
  • H-2 SOW
  • H-4 SOW
  • Ra'ad ALCM[8]
  • Ra'ad-II ALCM

Electronics

  • Air Defence Automation System (C4I system) - given to Bangladesh, installed by AWC engineers circa 2005.[9]
  • Electronic fuses for air-launched weapons (impact and proximity fuses)
  • Real-time ACMI system
  • Voice/Fax/Data encryption system

Other

  • Multi-Spectral Camouflage Net - camouflages against night-vision, infra-red, radar and millimeter wave sensors as well as visual detection. Stated to reduce an object's radar cross-section (RCS) by 86% on average and reduce average detection range by 43.8%.[10]

Technical Expertise

  • Software Development for Mission Critical Systems
  • Non Destructive Testing Software and Mechincal Support
  • Electronic System Design and Production
  • Prototyping and Production of Specialized Mechanical Assemblies
  • Mechanical Components Precision Manufacturing
  • TQM Practices
  • Mil-Spec Qualifications
  • CAD/CAM Support[11][1]

UAV project

The Air Weapons Complex embarked on a project for the indigenous development of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) in mid-1998. The Sky Tracker and Sky Navigator software suites were developed for the ground-based tracking of UAVs. The software retrieves the GPS position data from the UAV via a radio data-link17 and uses it to show the position of the UAV as a 2D plot along with other essential data such as, speed, altitude, heading, etc. This plot can be overlaid onto area maps as well. This information is used by the pilot for flying the UAV from the ground-based command station.[12][13][2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Kamra". https://fas.org/nuke/guide/pakistan/facility/kamra.htm. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Pike, John. "Kamra - Pakistan Special Weapons Facilities". http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/pakistan/kamra.htm. 
  3. Doug Richardson, “Pakistan tests Hatf 8 air-launched cruise missile,” Jane’s Missiles and Rockets, 1 September 2007; “Pakistan missile test,”
  4. "Air Weapons Complex (AWC) | Facilities | NTI". NTI Air. https://www.nti.org/learn/facilities/635/. 
  5. "Air Weapons Complex, Pakistan". http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Radar-and-Electronic-Warfare-Systems/Air-Weapons-Complex--AWC-Pakistan.html. 
  6. "Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis: IHS Jane's - IHS". http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Air-Launched-Weapons/Air-Weapons-Complex-AWC-Pakistan.html. 
  7. "Hafr-1 and -2 RBP-1 Runway Penetration Bomb, Pakistan". http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Air-Launched-Weapons/Hafr-1-and-2-RPB-1-Runway-Penetration-Bomb-Pakistan.html. 
  8. "Pakistan tests ballistic missile". BBC News. 29 April 2011. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13235412. 
  9. "Bangladesh adopts Pakistan-made air defence system". Pakistan Times (pakistantimes.net). http://pakistantimes.net/2005/03/18/top6.htm. 
  10. "Article 4". http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_4.shtml. 
  11. "Literature Study Guides - By Popularity - eNotes.com". http://www.enotes.com/topic/Air_Weapons_Complex. [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  12. News, Defense. "404". http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3811950. [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
  13. "Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis: IHS Jane's - IHS". http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicles-and-Targets/AWC-Mk-I-and-Mk-II-Pakistan.html.