Pakistan Navy - Command Structure

Command Structure

According to the Constitution, the President of Pakistan is the civilian commander-in-chief of Pakistan Armed Forces while the Prime Minister of Pakistan served as the Chief Executive of Pakistan Armed Forces, both the people-elected civilians, the President and Prime minister, maintains a civilian control of the military. The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), a four-star admiral, is the highest admiral (unless the four-star admiral is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee), a field, operational and staff commander as well as the highest admiral in the Navy, directs the non-combat and combatant operations from naval combatant headquarters (NHQ) in Islamabad, near army combatant headquarters (GHQ). The Chief of Naval Staff has seven Deputy Chiefs of Naval Staff, ranging from Rear Admirals to Vice-Admirals; the Chief of Staff (COS) under whom the Naval Operations and Intelligence Directorates functions; the Naval Secretary (NS); the Quarter-Master General (QMG); the Hydrographer of the Navy (HPN); the Engineer-in-Chief; the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST); the Director-General of Training and Joint Warfare (DG Trig); the Directorate-General for Naval Technologies Complex (NTC); and the Chief of Naval Logistics (CNL). The responsibilities of Deputy Chief of Naval Staff are listed below:

• Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of Naval Operations (DCNS Operations)
• Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of Training and Personnel (DCNS Training and Personnel)
• Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of Materials (DCNS Materials)
• Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of Naval Supplies (DCNS Supply)
• Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of Projects (DCNS Projects)
• Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of Naval Strategic Forces Command
• Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Administration)

The Pakistan Navy has six major combatant commands, each command is commanded by a three-star rank Vice Admiral who directly reports to Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star Admiral. Pakistan Naval Combatant Headquarter, The NHQ, is located in Islamabad, at the neighborhood of the GHQ of Pakistan Army. The NHQ function also includes the Judge Advocate General Corps of Navy, and the Comptroller of Civilian Personnel, the Hydrographer of the Navy (HPN) of the Hydrographic Corps; the Engineer-in-Chief of Naval Engineering Corps (NEC):

• • Commander Karachi (COMKAR) – The Commander Karachi is responsible for the command of the shore establishment, naval facilities within Karachi. The COMKAR also provide services and training facilities for the Navy. The COMKAR also looks after the military protocol at Karachi. This command's responsibilities also include harbour defence.
  • Commander of Pakistan Naval Fleet (COMPAK) – The command heads the surface, sub surface and aviation commands. In fact, this command is the war fighting machine having 4 dimensional components. It headquartered in Karachi, Sindh. Previously, it included the 25th and 18th Destroyer Squadron (with Gearing class D16O, D164-168).
  • Commander COAST (COMCOAST) – The special command of SSG(N), Marines and Coastal stations.
  • Commander Logistics (COMLOG) – This command looks after the repair, maintenance and logistic infrastructure of PN.
  • Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) Conducts all types of operational training at Sea
  • Commander North (COMNOR) – Looks after the Naval installations in the north of Pakistan. The COMNOR commands the naval facilities in North-west Pakistan, Azad Kashmir, Northern Areas of Pakistan. The COMNOR is also a major part of Pakistan's Northern Naval Command.
  • Commander WEST (COMWEST ) – Looks after the Naval installations in the west of Pakistan. The naval bases are Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and Jiwani. The COMWEST is a major component of the Western Naval Command of Pakistan Navy.
  • Commander Naval Air Arm (COMNAV) – Looks after the Naval air stations, and is the commander of the Naval Aviation.