Air Force Strategic Command
General Shamim was a close confident of General Zia-ul-Haq and had inner circle access in the most confidential programmes. Shamim also developed extremely cordial relations with Munir Ahmad Khan, weapon scientist and nuclear engineer. As Munir Ahmad Khan played an influential and administrative role in Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), General Shamim decided to established the Air Force command that took over the space science operations for the military industrial use only. In 1980s, under General Shamim, the Air Force Strategic Command was established, with primary objectives to give aerial and external protection to senior academic scientists and the clandestine nuclear deterrence development. Per request of Munir Ahmad Khan and dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Pakistan Government launched the Integrated missiles programme. However, as General Shamim was able to convince General Zia-ul-Haq that missile operations would be better off under the Air Force. The programme was put under the Air Force Strategic Command. The Air Force then authorized and administrated the Hatf missile system (HMS) programme, and the programme was directly reported to General Shamim. The missile was developed as a highly mobile missile for tactical use only. The Air Force Strategic Command then completely took over the space research and development programme ran under the Suparco. The programme, launched and culminated under General Shamim, its first developed missile was successfully launched in 1989 by the Pakistan Air Force. In 1986, just before General Shamim's departure, Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) launched a guided-missile programme under which the tactical weapons were developed and could be dropped by using the toss-bombing method, a method which PAF pilots are reported to be mastered. The programme was completed in 1991 under Munir Ahmad Khan's supervision.
Read more about this topic: Anwar Shamim, Chief of Air Staff
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