Does Pakistan requires an aircraft carrier?

Air superiority has always been of a great consequence when relinquishing enemies and ensuring a firm defense. Nations expanded their influence across the globe thtough establishing military airbases on the soil of their allies but as a threat of an assault by an opponent inflated, those allies were reluctant to offer their soil to be used for military campaigns thus the focus had to be invested on alternate measures to ensure ascendancy across the globe through air power. An idea for the deployment of aircraft through a ship entered into the picture and it was not until 1918 when a fully operational warship was commissioned to carry out this task, it was the birth of the first aircraft carrier. An aircraft carrier is a warship equipped with full length flight deck and capabilities for carrying, arming, deploying and recovering airplanes. It is considered as the Queen of a Navy. The main motive for an aircraft carrier is to project air power world wide without relying on local airbases.

In the subcontinent two Nuclear powers, Pakistan and India, reside with a devastating fire power enough to utterly demolish the whole world. Pakistan and India have always been on a confrontational course which has caused both the nations to focus more on the defense of their realms. India being superior in resources has a stronger economy through which it has been able to establish a robust military. Pakistan comparatively has a smaller military to India due to it's inferiority in resources but despite all odds, it has always been steadfast when confronting it's eastern opponent.

When considering the Navel capabilities of both the powers, there's no doubting that India has a far powerful and agile fleet mainly due to it's aircraft carriers. India currently has two aircraft carriers in it's inventory and they are capable of deploying fire power to far off places. This has not only given the Indians an edge over it's western rival but also has enormously favored it's influence in the Indian ocean. Pakistan granted an answer to this by commissioning a fleet of 8 attack submarines into it's arsenal which is comparatively easy to maneuver and proves to be a far affordable alternative to an aircraft carrier fleet however in times to comes Pakistan has to take further measures to counter India's growing lust for the aircraft carriers. India is expected to possess 3 aircraft carriers by the year 2025. If Pakistan doesn't comes up with a new solid future plan to counter the on going vast Indian navel modernization, it's national security will be at sake.

Is acquiring an aircraft carrier by the Pakistani Navy the right answer to the Indian navel modernization? probably not. Only a superpower would logically and effectively develop such a massive an expensive warship. To develop an aircraft carrier it requires an investment of $6.5 Billion and the operational and sustainment coasts are even higher. A country buying it's first aircraft carrier has to develop new doctrine, training programs, port facilities and other support infrastructure for navel aviation. It has to restructure it's navy to incorporate the new carrier, both to defend it and to take advantage from it's capabilities.

We have to understand the position of India in the subcontinent. India's decision to commission more aircraft carriers is because it's strategy extends beyond Pakistan's. India recognizes itself as a global power and these measures will help her to project power. Pakistan however has to invest great struggle on it's economy. Acquiring aircraft carriers will detract Pakistan and will further reduce it's capability to defend itself from India.

We should also consider the fact that Pakistan never had the necessity to inaugurate Nuclear Weapons at the first place as the program had a very high cost and it wasn't a priority for a country like Pakistan which struggled maintaining it's collapsing economy right after the fall of East Pakistan, but due to the imminent threat posed from it's Eastern border which had a fully operational Nuclear weapon, Pakistan, despite all odds had to work day and night to establish a Nuclear weapon for safety and protection from any Indian offensive. The same case in with the aircraft carriers, although this being on a very small level but it can prove to be very lethal for Pakistan in times to come.
Bottom line, countries like Pakistan don't have a need that justifies the expense of acquiring or operating an aircraft carrier but only time can tell what will be the future undertakings of the Pakistani Navy depending upon the scenario.

A deep sea rivalry.

For the past centuries, oceans and seas have always been a place for contention, constant rivalry and confrontation to achieve dominance and the upper hand. From the seas of Mediterranean to Arabian, men fought to take over the reins. Pakistan's efforts of commissioning new Chinese submarines into it's Navel arsenal is exactly that. Pakistan Navy manifested quite a lot of interest in the Chinese indigenous Type 032A submarine. Very soon Pakistan entered into a contract with the Chinese developer and made a public announcement on the 31st of March 2015. Pakistan is expected to receive a total of 8 Type 032A (Yuan Class) diesel electric submarines. A further search for 4 more submarines from Europe is also under process making a total of 12 strenuous submarine arsenal of the Pakistani Navel fleet. If the deal accomplishes this will be the largest Sino-Pakistani contract in the defense department. Each submarine will cost $250 Million to $350 Million and the whole project has a estimated cost of $5 Billion.

The type 032A has a standard load of six torpedo tubes, able to fire up to 18 torpedos and missile canisters, which include the 533mm Yu-6 heavy torpedo, navel mine and 300 km range YJ-82 anti ship missile. Such capabilities can prove quite important in a conventional war scenario in the region. In addition to that Pakistan is also working to arm it's upcoming submarines with Babur cruise missile, which has an effective range of 750 to 1000km and is equipped for both conventional and nuclear attacks.

Such tremendous investment in the Navel sector by the Pakistani administration is due to two major reasons. The first being is to modernize and expand it's navel fleet. The Pakistani Navy currently operates five Agosta submarines, with two of it's Agosta 70s which are 40 year old and in need of replacement soon. The second reason is to encounter the Indian growing influence in the Arabian sea and it's drastically growing hold in the Indian ocean. There should be no denying that India has always overpowered Pakistan in Navel capabilities and due to the recent developments like the commissioning of second Aircraft Carrier 'Vikramaditya' to it's fleet with Mig 29k fighters on board greatly poses a threat to the Pakistani coasts, Islamabad finally has decided to counter this through a strong and agile Navel Submarine fleet.

The outcome of this pronounced Navel deal bring a number of advantage to the table for the Pakistani administration. Pakistan always faced a prodigious threat from it's Eastern neighbor and this deal proves to counter exactly that. Pakistan will now be considered as a strong Navel force in the area and will also help regain it's lost reputation. This will not only maintain the balance of Power in the region but also give Islamabad a chance to launch nuclear strikes from previously inaccessible areas like the Bay of Bengal. Thus An underwater Nuclear deterrent would finally give Islamabad a credible second strike capability.