TRH began the day by visiting the recently opened Army Canine Centre in Islamabad, which breeds and trains Arms and Explosive Search (AES) Dogs to assist in the discovery of explosive devices. The Duke and Duchess joined UK and Pakistani expert dog handlers as they trained dogs to find explosive materials by scent. They also took some of the puppies through their paces on an agility training course.
The Army Canine Centre is modelled on the UK’s Defence Animal Training Centre located at Melton Mowbray. The training witnessed forms part of the UK’s Defence Engagement activity of which, a major part is the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device capacity building program.
TRH visit was the first Royal Visit since the Prince of Wales toured Pakistan in 2006. During their trip, the Duke and Duchess have seen the many sides of the modern, aspirational, dynamic Pakistan – from the vibrant, leafy Islamabad to the cultural capital Lahore, from the fragile to the remote communities in the mountainous north.
Army Canine Centre
The UK has provided CIED training and advice to Pakistan for over 10 years. The training aims to increase the capacity of both military and civilian forces to deliver Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD), Advanced Search, Explosive Scene Investigation training and AES dog and handler training.
The program has been a success. Since the introduction of the program, the IED threat in Pakistan has reduced significantly and the Pakistani military has opened a National Centre of Excellence for IEDD and searches training and a world-class AES training facility (ACC). To date, 90 AES dog handlers (Police and Military) and 96 AES Dogs have been taught by UK training teams under Operation HALLEX.
All those taught have been deployed or are currently deployed on CIED operations across Pakistan. They have been responsible for discovering thousands of kilograms of military and homemade explosives and as a result, have saved countless lives. Additionally, 54 AES dog handlers have been trained in the UK as Master AES Dog Trainers; these individuals are now instrumental in delivering Pakistan’s AES dog training program.
The ACC opened on Aug 19 was self-funded by Pakistan and modeled on the UK Defence Animal Training Centre at Melton Mowbray.
