On 10 June 2026, a Pakistan Army Aviation Corps (PAA) Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir during take-off. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan Army’s (PA) press wing, stated that the crash was caused by a “technical fault.” All onboard personnel died.
There is no point in speculating about the cause of this specific crash, especially since the details are not available and were not disclosed. The more useful question is broader: what, exactly, has General Headquarters (GHQ) planned for the PAA?
In contrast to Aviation, the Army’s other arms – from artillery to armour to drones to air defence – have seen significant capability additions since the mid-2010s.
Yet, for one reason or another, the PAA’s programs stall – and those particular programs are limited solely to attack helicopters.
Since the early 2010s, there has been no emphasis or attention given to new transport and utility helicopters, even though the bulk of the PAA’s rotary fleet relies on platforms ranging from 20 to nearly 50 years old.
