Pakistan Ordnance Factories

The Pakistan Ordnance Factories (reporting name: POF), is a major firearms, defence contractor, and military corporation headquartered in Wah Cantt, Punjab, Pakistan.

Founded in 1951 by the Government of Pakistan with the early collaboration came from the British Royal Ordnance Factory, the POF engineers, develops, produces, manufactures, and promotes the wide range of different types of infantry and special purpose weapons, explosives, ammunition, morters, rockets, and the military gear for Pakistan's military. Its corporate leadership comes from the appointment from the GHQ where the chief of army staff approves the appointment. The POF is the earliest and one of the largest military corporation in Pakistan, and later influenced many other military corporations of Inter-Services to established its own industry based on the POF.

Its earliest engineering works heavily reflected the British military equipments but the POF's later works featured American styled firearms and military products. As of current, the POF produces ammunition even meet the requirement set in the NATO specification. Apart from military works, the POF also serves the civilian law enforcement agencies, paramilitary, and private security markets natiowide.

History
During their colonial rule, the British built sixteen ordnance factories in the British Raj, most of which were inherited by India. Pakistan's first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, issued a directive within four months of the independence of Pakistan to establish an ordnance factory in collaboration with British Royal Ordnance Factory to manufacture 0.303 calibre rifles. In December 1951 Pakistan's second Prime Minister, Khawaja Nazimuddin, inaugurated the first four POF workshops in the small town of Wah Cantonment.

Background
Located 45 km from Islamabad and with main manufacturing facilities at Wah Cantonment, POF is a sprawling complex of fourteen production units and six subsidiaries producing conventional arms and ammunition. Research and development projects have been undertaken to minimize dependence on foreign suppliers. Efforts have been made towards self-reliance through innovation and indigenization, for achieving the following:-

1. Optimal utilization of surplus capacity of POF.

2. Generation of funds to supplement budget grant.

3. Participative collaboration with the private sector.

4. Enhancing exports.

POF uses technology and equipment that has been acquired from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and China. The factories in POF employ some of the latest state of the art processes, including computerized numerical controlled machines and flexible Manufacturing systems for the production of precision components.

A Stamp was also issued by Pakistan Post on the occasion of golden jubilee of POF (Dt. 28-12-2001) to honour the country's largest defense manufacturing unit's services.

POF has been awarded standards by the International Organisation for Standardisation. These include ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and ISO 17025 for meeting the general requirements for Competence of Test and Calibration Laboratories.In 2005, P.O.F was also awarded with safety and health environment standard OHSAS 18001.

During a visit to POF, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz made the following tribute:
 * "POF is an island of excellence for Pakistan. POF and its employees have played a critical and valuable role in bolstering Pakistan’s defence. We are all proud of what you have achieved. I wish you continued success in the future."

Mainstream Industries

 * Weapon Factory
 * Machine Gun Factory
 * Small Arms Ammunition Factory
 * Medium Artillery Ammunition Factory
 * wah college
 * Heavy Artillery Ammunition Factory
 * Tank and Anti Tank Ammunition Factory
 * Explosive Factory
 * Filling Factory
 * Propellants Factory
 * Tungsten Alloy Factory
 * Tungsten Carbide Factory
 * Steel Foundry
 * brass mills
 * Garments Factory
 * Metallurgical Laboratory

Subsidiaries

 * Wah Industries Ltd
 * Shotgun Ammunition Factory
 * Packaging Factory
 * Hi-Tech Plastics
 * Wah Nobel (Pvt) Ltd
 * Wah Nobel Chemicals
 * Wah Nobel Acetates
 * Wah Nobel Detonators
 * Comsats Wah Campus
 * Wah Engineering College
 * Wah Medical College/POF (Pakistan Ordnance Factories) Hospital (Teaching Hospital)
 * University of Wah

Products
POF produce approximately 70 major products for supply to the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force. The main products include automatic rifles, light/medium/heavy machine guns, a wide range of mortar and artillery ammunition, aircraft and anti-aircraft ammunition, tank and anti-tank ammunition, bombs, grenades, land mines, pyrotechnics and signal stores.

Aircraft and anti-aircraft ammunition

 * 30 mm
 * 37 mm HE/T
 * 12.7 x 108 mm
 * Bomb HE AC 500 lb (250 kg)
 * 23mm
 * 20mm x 180mm phalanx ammunition

Artillery ammunition

 * 155 mm howitzer
 * 105 mm howitzer
 * 120 mm HE M44A2
 * 120 mm smoke WP M44A1
 * 122 mm howitzer HE
 * 122 mm howitzer ILLUMINATING (D30)
 * 130 mm HE
 * 155 mm howitzer HE M 107
 * 155 mm howitzer HE M483 A1-ICM
 * 203 mm howitzer HE M 106
 * 122 mm rocket HE (YARMUK)
 * QF 25 PDR mk.1/2

Mortar ammunition

 * 60 mm mortar HE
 * 60 mm smoke WP
 * 60 mm illuminating signal
 * 81 mm HE M 57 D A-2
 * 81 mm smoke WP
 * 81 mm illuminating signal
 * 120 mm HE M44A2
 * 120 mm smoke WP M44A

Propellants and explosives

 * Artillery ammunition propellant
 * Mortar and rocket ammunition propellant
 * Small bust
 * ammunition propellant
 * Demolition explosives

Pyrotechnics and demolition stores

 * Flare (trip-wire) Mk 2/2
 * Shooting (pencil type)
 * Demolition charge #16 IN.BeeHive MK
 * Demolition 1 OZ CE PRIMER

Small arms ammunition

 * 7.62X51mm Ball (NATO)
 * 7.62x 51mm Tracer
 * 7.62x 51mm Link Belted
 * 7.62 x 51mm Blank (Star Crimped)
 * 7.62 x 39mm
 * 9 x19 mm Ball
 * 5.56 x 45mm M-855
 * 5.56 x 45mm M-193
 * .303 Mk 7

Grenades

 * ARGES 84-P2A1
 * Smoke discharger WP P3 MK1
 * Target indication grenade
 * 81mm smoke grenade for T-80UD, Al-Khalid and Al-Zarrar tanks

Tank and anti-tank ammunition

 * 100 mm APFSDS/T
 * 105 mm APFSDS/T L 64 A4
 * 105 mm HE TK P1 A1
 * 105 mm HESH L35A3
 * 125 mm APFSDS/T
 * 125 mm HE
 * 106 mm HEAT M344A3
 * 40 mm HEAT P1 MK1 (RPG-7)
 * 73 mm FSRA HEAT round (SPG-9)
 * RPG-7 (AP)
 * Anti-tank mine P3 MK



Infantry weapons

 * HK G3 - 7.62 mm calibre assault rifle produced under license. Variants produced:
 * G3A3
 * G3P4
 * HK MP5 - 9 mm calibre sub-machine gun produced under license. Variants produced:
 * MP5A2
 * MP5P3
 * MP5P4
 * MP5P5
 * POF PK-7 - 7.62×39 mm calibre assault rifle, short barrelled version of the HK G3
 * POF PK-8 - 5.56 mm calibre assault rifle based on HK G3
 * POF PK-09 - 9 mm calibre pistol
 * POF PKL-30 - 7.62×25 mm calibre pistol
 * POF PK-10
 * PSR-90 - 7.62 mm calibre sniper rifle, a variant of the HK MSG-90, produced under license
 * Rheinmetall MG 3 - 7.62 mm calibre general purpose machine gun, produced under license
 * Type 54 - 12.7 mm machine gun.

POF Eye
POF Eye is a special-purpose hand-held weapon system similar in concept to the CornerShot that can fire weapons around corners. It was first revealed at the 5th International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS 2008), held at the Karachi Expo Centre in November 2008.[2][3] It is designed for SWAT and special forces teams in hostile situations, particularly counter-terrorism and hostage rescue operations. It allows its operator to both see and attack an armed target without exposing the operator to counter-attack.

Exports
In addition to meeting the demands of Pakistan Defence Forces, POF products are in service with over 40 countries, in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. Ammunition and rifles have been exported to countries like Iraq and Afghanistan for their respective military establishments.

POF specializes in the manufacturing of commercial explosives, hunting ammunition and possesses extensive facilities for the manufacture of brass, copper and aluminum ingots. A state of the art garments factory, manufactures military uniforms and can also cater for the needs of the civil sector.

As of post 2010s, Pakistan has been aiming to push ahead with it's export market but facing difficulties due to international guidelines enforced by the United Nations.

August 2008 bombing
On 21 August 2008, POF's industrial complex was the target of twin suicide bombings by the Tehrik-i-Taliban; 60 people were killed and 81 injured in the attack.