Pakistan's 610,000-member armed forces, the world's 7th largest in 2005, are well trained and disciplined.The Armed Forces are highly respected in the civil society. USA, China and North Korea are among the leading collaborators. Indigenous development of Missiles are given importance though there are sources that convey the information that they are assisted by China and North Korea in most of the assignments claimed by themselves. However, budget constraints and nation-building duties have reduced Pakistan's normally robust training tempo, which if not reversed, will eventually impact the operational readiness of the Armed Forces. Likewise, Pakistan has had an increasingly difficult time maintaining their aging fleet of American, Chinese, British and French equipment. While the industrial base capabilities have expanded significantly, limiting fiscal resources and various sanctions have significantly constrained the government's efforts to modernize the armed forces. Despite this, the Pakistani armed forces demonstrate great strength and armed capabilities which make it one of the strongest in the world.
However, the Army of Pakistan was also used to supress terrorist activities and political unrest stirred and sponsered by foriegn powers. In East Pakistan in 1971 they had committed many operations to curb violence and law lessness, and are prone to coup d'etats. Also, the country has been ruled by the military for the majority of the time that it has been an independent country. The current ruler of Pakistan, Pervez Musharaf, seized power in a coup. After three years of assuming power he held elctions at grass root level first and later on for national assemble and provencial assemblies. At the moment he is elected President of the Islamic Republic Of Pakistan. Recently the army has been engaged in anti terrorist operations in Wana and Balochistan. Again foreign hands are suspected of supporting these terrorist activities. The Army of Pakistan's Operation 2005,in Wana and other tribal areas have seen success and many Al Qaeda members have been apprehended and their training facillities and shelters destroyed.
Until 1990, the United States provided military aid to Pakistan to modernize its conventional defensive capability. The United States allocated about 40% of its assistance package to non-reimbursable credits for military purchases, the third largest program after Israel and Egypt. The remainder of the aid program was devoted to economic assistance. While sanctions have been in effect since 1990, various amendments have authorized return of spare parts and end items already paid for by Pakistan. There was a period of international sanctions due to Pakistan's nuclear tests in response to India's May 1998 tests and the military coup that placed additional sanctions on Pakistan. However since the 9/11 incident, Pakistan has become a key ally of USA in the fight against terrorism, especially in ousting Taliban from neighbouring Afghanistan.
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
Military manpower - military age: 16 years of age for voluntary service; soldiers cannot be deployed for combat until age of 18 (2001)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 16-49:
39,028,014 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 16-49:
16-49: 29,428,747 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males:
1,969,055 (2005 est.)
Active troops
- 620,000 (Ranked 7th)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $3.848 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.9% (2004)
Nuclear tests in May 1998 confirmed that Pakistan, like India, has nuclear weapons. In April 1998 Pakistan test fired a long-range missile easily capable of reaching the capital of India. This means that Pakistan's nuclear warheads can be delivered by airplanes and missiles, and reach most of India. See nuclear proliferation. Some of the sanctions that were handed to Pakistan have been relinquished and in early 2004 US president George W. Bush gave the government of Musharraf a $3 billion aid package that will undoubtedly be spent on defence. In March 2005, US government confirmed that it intends to sell unlimited number F16 to Pakistan despite India's resistance to the idea. Pakistan has asked for 86 F 16s.
Since then Pakistan (and India) has tested numerous long range missiles; however, as of 2004 this has currently ceased, most likely due to the current and lengthy peace talks debating both Kashmir and the two countries' trade ties.
The Highest Award given by the Military of Pakistan is the Nishan-E-Haider which has only been awarded to ten men since 1947.