Pakistan Marines
The Pakistan Marines ; reporting name PM;, also known as Pakistan Marine Corps or simply as Marines, is an expeditionary and amphibious warfare uniform service branch within the Pakistan Navy, consisting of the naval officers and other personnel to perform their duties within the Marines. The Pakistan Marines are responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the Pakistan Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces.
In the Pakistani military leadership structure, the Marines are the expeditionary and amphibious branch within the Navy, often working closely with the Pakistan Army for training, executing expeditionary operations and logistics purposes.
Initially established and commissioned on 1 June 1971 in East-Pakistan, there were headquartered in PNS Dacca to oversee the amphibious operations expeditionary tactics to provide the defence of East Pakistan from the Indian Army but failed to make any significant impact that led to their decommissioning in 1974.
On 25 November 1990, the Marines were re-organized and recommissioned under Cdr. Obaidullah–since then they have been a component of the Navy, conducting expeditionary operations with the special forces of army and the navy. The Marines are primarily tasked with quick response and marine reconnaissance objectives to guard the coastal and amphibious regions of the country, and receives training at the School of Infantry and Tactics by the Pakistan Army's instructors.
In 2010, Marines, in close co-ordination with the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force, were working around the clock to rescue villagers trapped by the country's worst deluge in 80 years.
History
The Pakistan Marines traces their history back to Eastern Pakistan when the infantry battalion, dedicated towards the amphibious operations with the Pakistan Army, was commissioned in the Navy on 1 June 1971. Initially, the Marines were modeled based on the British Royal Marines and were aimed towards conducting independent expeditionary and amphibious operations in a geographical region that was essentially a dead-level plain, which made it difficult for the Pakistan Army to conduct mechanized operations, though an ideal theatre for amphibious ground forces.The Marines were initially tasked to counter the Indian Army in Chittagong and Khulna with only four patrol boat and improvised imported amphibious vehicles. Due to lack of training, misunderstanding of the amphibious terrains, operational capabilities, the Marines failed to produced any significant results to counter the insurgency that resulted in their decommissioning in 1974.
Nonetheless, the Marines continued to exists in its rudimentary form until 1988 to meet the meet fundamental security requirements of Pakistan Navy offshore establishments in the country. Following the introduction of the Mistral weapon system in the Navy, the Marines were re-commissioned under Cdr. Obaidulla with Manora Fort at the vicinity of the PNS Qasim serving its first forward base on 14 April 1990.
Per Navy's request, the Pakistan Army undertook the training of the new Marines personnel at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul and later at the School of Infantry and Tactics in Quetta, aiming to raise an infantry unit to guard the offshore establishments of the Navy.
Initially, the Marines objectives were to provide security and cover to the offshore establishments of the Navy while aiding the federal government using the Navy's mobility. Headquarters of the Marines was relocated from the PNS Himalaya to the Manora Fort in the PNS Qasim that was renamed as Marine Base Qasim in 1994. The commissioning Marines consisted of eighty commissioned officers, sixty seven chief petty officers from general service and forty three Marines. Its first battalion was activated in September 1971.
As part of the first combat assignment, the Marines were deployed at the Sir Creek region during the last decade, threat on the South-Eastern border increased manifolds, warranting an immediate response.
Estimating the type and quantum of threat, the Pakistan Navy proposed deployment of a sizable force in the Sir Creeks region. The then-Rear Admiral Shahid Karimullah vigorously pursued the case of an additional battalion and its phase-wise development plan. Since its inception, Creeks Battalion is deployed in its designated Area of Responsibility.
On 28 March 2013, Pakistan Navy commissioned the third battalion of Pakistan Marines in order to further strengthen the defense of the Gwadar Port and to enhance the security of vital Pakistan Navy assets and installations along the western coasts of Pakistan.
Organization
Marines Headquarters
The headquarters of the marines were initially set up in the Naval Base Dacca in East Pakistan in 1971 but relocated in the Karachi after the third war with India. In 1990, the Marines were organized in PNS Himalaya initially, but the organizational command was relocated in Manora Fort located in the PNS Qasim that was renamed as Qasim Marine Base in 1995. General military administration and logistics for the Marines are operated from the Qasim Marine Base in Karachi.The Marines maintains and control the inter-services liaison communication between the Army and the Marines from the Marine Base Qasim, overseeing the military training and instructions on the weapon system provided by the Army instructors and weapon system specialists.
Marines bases, camps, and battalions
The Pakistan Marines operations are primarily controlled from the Qasim Marine Base but are stationed in Joint Army-Marine Base Sir Creek, Army Base Ormara, Gwadar Marine Camp and Marine Base Punjab. Since 1998, the Army helped Navy to raise six infantry battalions, commanded by an officer with rank of Commander :| Battalions | Garrison/Headquarters | Area of responsibility | Commissioned Date |
| 1st Marines Battalion | Joint Army-Marines Base Sir Creek | Sir Creek/Kori | 11 August 1999 |
| Marines Amphibious Wing | Qasim Marine Base | Karachi Coast | 1 July 2002 |
| 1st Creek Battalion | Marines Base Sujawal | Thatta District | 13 May 2008 |
| 2nd Marines Battalion | Marine Base Qasim | Karachi district | 17 October 2012 |
| 3rd Marines Battalion | Marine Base Gwadar | Port of Gwadar | 29 March 2013 |
| 21st Air Defence Battalion | Marine Base Ormara | Gwadar coast/Ormara | 7 July 2017 |
Personnel
Leadership and training
The Commander Coastal Areas, designated as the Chief of Staff Marines, is the highest-ranking officer in the Marines, usually at a rank of three-star, reporting directly to the Chief of Naval Staff.The recruits and candidates are directed to attend the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi in order to gain commissioned in the Marines, where the candidates pass out in courses relating the military history and training, which is conducted at the PNS Himalaya– a bootcamp of the Navy. Following commissioned, the marines officers and personnel are directed to attend the Marine Training Center located in the Qasim Marine base for learning the art of infantry and combined arms warfare, usually instructed by the army specialists. At the MTC, the Marines completes the Basic Marines Course that included the instructions on comprehensive physical training in unarmed combat, close-quarter battle, security duties, swimming, small-arms handling and infantry tactics.
After passing the basic military training course, the Marines are directed to attend the Pakistan Army's School of Infantry and Tactics in Quetta where they are trained together with the army soldiers. Since 1999, the Marines have been instructed to operate the Mistral missile system, ordnance, and special security courses to protect naval bases on coastal areas.
The Marines formations and personnel wears the camouflage uniforms when deployed to an operational environment but otherwise they wear Navy dress uniforms in public and international ceremonies.