Air Force PAF Events
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The First Fighter Trainer
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[/FONT]THE FIRST FIGHTER TRAINER
1950
The Hawker Fury FB 60 was the PAF's mainstay fighter during the first half of the 1950s. Ninety-two Furies were inducted during the early 1950s. To convert new pilots onto the new fighter, the PAF also acquired five two-seat trainer versions of the Fury, called the Fury T-61. The two-seater could also be used for operational roles.
[/FONT]THE FIRST FIGHTER TRAINER
1950
The Hawker Fury FB 60 was the PAF's mainstay fighter during the first half of the 1950s. Ninety-two Furies were inducted during the early 1950s. To convert new pilots onto the new fighter, the PAF also acquired five two-seat trainer versions of the Fury, called the Fury T-61. The two-seater could also be used for operational roles.
Propel to the jet age
In June 1951 the PAF entered the jet age with the "Supermarine Attacker" fighter equipping the first jet squadron of the growing air force. Until the mid-1950s, the mainstay of the PAF's fighter force continued to be the nearly one hundred Hawker Furies and a dwindling number of Tempests. There were new developments everywhere. New air bases were being established, the first air defence radar was installed and the PAF was rapidly setting up its own advanced flying and technical training institutions. New generations of post independence youth were gaining skills and confidence under their Pakistani squadron and wing leaders. In 1955, Pakistan's 4-decade association with the United States began in the Cold War against the Communist Bloc states led by the Soviet Union. This alliance transformed the PAF, with new technology jet fighters, bombers, trainers, transport aircraft and helicopters. The old fighter squadrons were gradually re-equipped with jet aircraft and many new ones were established. Under its first Pakistani Commander in-. Chief, this modernization was extended to the PAF's organization and consolidation into a purposefully designed force that could meet the new challenges to national security. A pervasive quest for professionalism began in all air and ground units and gradually replaced the World War II styles of command and leadership. In their foreign training courses the PAF pilots were now matching their combat skills with those of the world's best air forces and achieving ever-higher munitions delivery scores. In 1959 an F-86 pilot had already shot down a high-flying Indian reconnaissance Canberra bomber intruding into Pakistan territory and a year earlier a formation aerobatic team of sixteen Sabers had set a world record. The engineering, logistic and administrative officers were at the same time leading the PAF technicians into delivering unprecedented serviceability rates and efficient management of all resources. Derived from the national military objectives, the PAF's leadership had clearly visualized and laid down the operational doctrine for the nation's air arm and all its personnel were being trained and judged against the highest adoptable professional standards
PROPEL TO THE JET AGE
In June 1951 the PAF entered the jet age with the "Supermarine Attacker" fighter equipping the first jet squadron of the growing air force. Until the mid-1950s, the mainstay of the PAF's fighter force continued to be the nearly one hundred Hawker Furies and a dwindling number of Tempests. There were new developments everywhere. New air bases were being established, the first air defence radar was installed and the PAF was rapidly setting up its own advanced flying and technical training institutions. New generations of post independence youth were gaining skills and confidence under their Pakistani squadron and wing leaders. In 1955, Pakistan's 4-decade association with the United States began in the Cold War against the Communist Bloc states led by the Soviet Union. This alliance transformed the PAF, with new technology jet fighters, bombers, trainers, transport aircraft and helicopters. The old fighter squadrons were gradually re-equipped with jet aircraft and many new ones were established. Under its first Pakistani Commander in-. Chief, this modernization was extended to the PAF's organization and consolidation into a purposefully designed force that could meet the new challenges to national security. A pervasive quest for professionalism began in all air and ground units and gradually replaced the World War II styles of command and leadership. In their foreign training courses the PAF pilots were now matching their combat skills with those of the world's best air forces and achieving ever-higher munitions delivery scores. In 1959 an F-86 pilot had already shot down a high-flying Indian reconnaissance Canberra bomber intruding into Pakistan territory and a year earlier a formation aerobatic team of sixteen Sabers had set a world record. The engineering, logistic and administrative officers were at the same time leading the PAF technicians into delivering unprecedented serviceability rates and efficient management of all resources. Derived from the national military objectives, the PAF's leadership had clearly visualized and laid down the operational doctrine for the nation's air arm and all its personnel were being trained and judged against the highest adoptable professional standards
FIRST JET AEROBATIC TEAM
1952
In 1952, No 11 Squadron, Drigh Road (now Faisal) Air Base, formed an aerobatic team with the curios name "The Paybills", that happened to be the squadron's call sign. This was the PAF's first jet aerobatic team, flying the squadron's Attackers. The formation is flying over Manora in the above picture. F S Hussain, the renowned flyer and aerial acrobat of his time, led this team.
PREPARING FOR A WORLD RECORD
1958
Compared for space, the selected pilots from several F-86 squadrons gathered at Mauripur Air Force Base. They would practice for several weeks under the leadership of Wing Commander M Zafar Masud for a grand air display in which the world's first loop in a formation of sixteen jets would set a record.
http://www.paf.gov.pk/events.html
COBRAS DRAW FIRST BLOOD
1959
The first PAF jet fighter (Cobra) that shot down an enemy aircraft was F-86F Sabre No55-005 of No 15 Squadron. The Squadron was also known as the "Cobras". Flying this aircraft, Flight Lieutenant M Younis downed an Indian Air Force Canberra while it was on a photo-reconnaissance mission high over the Rawalpindi area on 10 April 59, an Eid day. Pilot Officer Rab Nawaz was the Air Defence Controller on radar for this mission.
WORLD'S FIRST BOMBER FORMATION LOOP
1964
The first ever formation aerobatics on bombers were performed at Peshawar during an air display on 27 October 1964. Air Marshal Omar Dani, C-in-C of the Indonesian Air Force, was the Chief Guest on this occasion. The 4 B-57s were led by Wing Commander Nazir Latif with Squadron Leader Altaf Sheikh and Flight Lieutenant Abdul Basit and Shams as team members. The team executed loops, rolls and wing overs, the first two maneuvers being unheard of in such a heavy class of aircraft as the B-57, which was not really designed to perform aerobatics even singly. Their precise but apparently effortless station-keeping throughout the demonstration effectively concealed the intense concentration, mental and physical exertion that all four pilots went through.
M M ALAM'S F-86
1965
Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmud Alam emerged from 1965 War as Pakistan's top scoring fighter ace. The picture shows him in his favourite F-86 F-35-NA with the victory tally marked on the aircraft (Nine kills and two probable). Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmud Alam, Commander of No 11 Squadron in 1965, was already a notable leader and highly experienced pilot. He also excelled in gunnery competition as a skill that without a doubt contributed greatly to his becoming the first and the only jet ace in one mission.
http://www.paf.gov.pk/images/falcons.jpg
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]THE PAF "FALCONS" MAKE HISTORY
1965
[/FONT] 2nd February 1958 was a significant day in the history of aviation as well as that of the Pakistan Air Force. On that day, for the first time a formation of 16 fighters (F-86 Sabers) performed a loop during an air display at Masroor Air Base, Karachi. The painting is partly symbolic, depicting the leading element of the 16 "Falcons" (their call sign) taking off from the runway at Masroor. In the background is an impression of the 16 Sabers in immaculate formation as they looked after having joined up, climbing vertically for a loop. Renowned fighter pilot and wartime leader of the Air Force, Wing Commander M Z Masud, who was later awarded Hilal-i-Jurat in the 1965 War, led the team.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]THE PAF "FALCONS" MAKE HISTORY
1965
[/FONT] 2nd February 1958 was a significant day in the history of aviation as well as that of the Pakistan Air Force. On that day, for the first time a formation of 16 fighters (F-86 Sabers) performed a loop during an air display at Masroor Air Base, Karachi. The painting is partly symbolic, depicting the leading element of the 16 "Falcons" (their call sign) taking off from the runway at Masroor. In the background is an impression of the 16 Sabers in immaculate formation as they looked after having joined up, climbing vertically for a loop. Renowned fighter pilot and wartime leader of the Air Force, Wing Commander M Z Masud, who was later awarded Hilal-i-Jurat in the 1965 War, led the team.
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SQN LDR RAFIQUI OPENS THE SEPTEMBER ACCOUNT
1965
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PAF scored its first victory in 1965 on 1st September, when four Indian Vampire fighters which were attacking Pakistani troops in Chamb were shot down by two F-86 Sabers flown by Squadron Leader Sarfraz Rafiqui and Flight Lieutenant Imtiaz Bhatti, two by each pilot. No Vampires were seen again for the remainder of the 1965 war. The Controller on radar during this interception was Flight Lieutenant Farooq Haider from Sakesar.
INTERDICTION AT GURDASPUR
1965
On 13 September 1965, Four Sabers led by Squadron Leader Alauddin Ahmad on their second offensive patrol over Indian Lines of communication, attacked a long line of freight wagons at Gurdaspur railway yard. The Sabers' rockets and guns soon yielded some spectacular explosions as the ammunition wagons received direct hits. Squadron Leader Ahmad's F-86 was struck by fragments of an exploding train after he had fired a salvo of rockets. Despite a radio call from him that he was ejecting from his disabled F-86, this superb intrepid pilot never returned from this mission. He was awarded a posthumous Sitara-i-Jurat for his exemplary aggressiveness, combat leadership and valour.
THE F-6 JOINS THE PAF
1965
The first two F-6s (Mig-19s made in China) are arriving at Sargodha Air Base. The pilots flew over the Karakorams directly from the Chinese airfield at Hotian. The F-6 carried VHF radios, Soviet style instruments and many pieces of equipment that were strange to the PAF pilots and technical hands. The Pakistani markings were not yet painted and the pilots wore leather helmets and throat mikes. Many officers and men of Sargodha Air Base gathered near the runway to watch the landings.
PATHANKOT STRIKE
1965
8 F-86Fs of No 19 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider struck Pathankot airfield. With carefully positioned dives and selecting each individual aircraft in their protected pens for their strafing attacks, the strike elements completed a textbook operation against Pathankot. Wing Commander M G Tawab, flying one of the two Sabers as tried escort overhead, counted 14 wrecks burning on the airfield. Among the aircraft destroyed on the ground were nearly all of the IAF's Soviet-supplied Mig-21s till then received, none of which was seen again during the War. Tied escorts consisted of Wing Commander M G Tawab (later Air Marshal and air Chief of Bangladesh Air Force) and Flight Lieutenant Arshsad Sami while the strike elements were led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider with Flight Lieutenant M Akbar, Mazhar Abbas, Dilawar Hussain, Ghani Akbar and Flyng Officer Arshad Chaudhary, Khalid Latif and Abbas Khattak (later CAS, PAF) in his formation.
ARRIVAL OF THE MIRAGE
1968
Although both the F-6 and the F-86E had a reasonable capabilities in the close support role, yet there was a need to regain the medium range day/night strike power which had been shared by the F-86F and the B-57 untill 1967. There was also the lingering gap in night air defence. To fulfil these requirements, the PAF turned to French Mirage fighter-bomber series.
SABRE TAKES A SUPERIOR AIRCRAFT
1971
The last aerial encounter of 1971 War turned out to be a dogfight between a supersonic MIG-21 and the relatively slow and much older F-86 Sabre. The F-86 flown by Flight Lieutenant Maqsood Amir emerged as the victor and the Indian Mig-21 pilot Flight Lieutenant Tejwant Singh who ejected after being hit, was taken prisoner. Squadron Leader Rab Nawaz was the Radar Controller for this interception.
THE STAR FIGHTERS' FAREWELL FLIGHT
1972
After eleven years of eventful service, a pair of No.9 Squadron's F-104As lifts off the Masroor runway to mark the Lockhead Starfighter's last mission in the PAF. The F-104's life in the PAF was cut short by the United States Government's "even-handed" arms embargo on both Pakistan and India after the 1965 and 1971 wars. Washington chose to ignore the fact that India, a long-time ally of the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War, did not possess any American military equipment and the sanctions thus exclusively penalized the armed force of Pakistan. In the face of increasing difficulty in obtaining spares, the PAF finally decided in mid-1972 to phase out the starfighters. The PAF's F-104s were somewhat unique. While being the lightest among the starfighters in combat configuration, the more powerful J-79-IIA engines gave them additional manoeuvre energy. The 20mm Galling gun, retrofitted to the PAF's F-104s by specific request, also added to the fighter's combat effectiveness. Many heavyhearted airmen and officers of No 9 Squadron witnessed the farewell flight, some of them served in the Squadron for two wars. From among the Squadron's veteran pilots, the two took up the Starfighters for the last time.
SHERDILS
1972
The aerobatic team of T-37s practice over PAF Academy, Risalpur. The team, called "Sherdils" (the Lionhearted), is flown by instructor pilots from the Air Academy and has delighted countless Pakistanis by performing at all Risalpur Graduation Parades, the Pakistan Day Parades and at different bases each year on the Pakistan Air Force Day.
1972
The aerobatic team of T-37s practice over PAF Academy, Risalpur. The team, called "Sherdils" (the Lionhearted), is flown by instructor pilots from the Air Academy and has delighted countless Pakistanis by performing at all Risalpur Graduation Parades, the Pakistan Day Parades and at different bases each year on the Pakistan Air Force Day.
FRONT LINE AIR FORCE
1981-2002
When on the 1979 Christmas Eve the Soviet Union sent in its army and air force to invade Afghanistan, Pakistan felt duty bound to become a sympathetic host to eventually 5 million refugees. For demanding Soviet withdrawal and providing shelter and unwavering support to the Afghans, Pakistan earned the animosity of Moscow and became a frontline state overnight. The United States led a coalition of solidarity with the Afghan Mujahideen and Pakistan. The lightly armed Afghans fought courageously a difficult, bloody war against the regular Soviet forces, supported by hundreds of gunship helicopters and jet fighter bombers. These aircraft frequently violated Pakistan's territory on the pretext of hitting the Mujahideen sanctuaries, killing many Pakistani civilians each time. The PAF's F-16s (available from 1983 onward) played a key role in bolstering the Mujahideen's morale and keeping the Soviet air power from crushing the resistance. The F-16 pilots were not allowed hot pursuit into Afghanistan, but fought some classic air combats during which they scored 7 kills without any loss. The Geneva Accord of March 1988 and the Soviet withdrawal in May replaced external aggression with internal war in Afghanistan, since the pro-Soviet government still held power in Kabul. Despite Pakistan's timely appeals little international support was pledged for taking the post-withdrawal Afghanistan through an era of peace and reconstruction. America's engagement with Afghanistan ended abruptly with the Soviet withdrawal, and Pakistan's role as a Cold War ally also ceased without ceremony as that war too ended in 1991. The Mujahideen factions, no longer united, began a race for Kabul and an interim joint government set up in 1992 was mired in feuds and discord. Efforts by the anxious Gulf States and Pakistan to reunite the factions failed each time due to ethnically based mistrust and overconfidence among the veteran warlords. The power struggle led to a civil war (1992-1994) that left each warlord weakened and destroyed most of the traditional tolerance within Afghanistan's multi-ethnic society. This vacuum was filled by the new, and initially popular, Taliban forces from Kandahar, which rapidly gained control over most of Afghanistan, capturing Kabul in late 1996. On 11 May 1998, India went overtly nuclear, perceiving an acquiescent world environment for its hegemonic ambitions. Two days later its Prime Minister threatened Islamabad with nuclear attack. Pakistan had long anticipated such behaviour and the PAF had already taken necessary anticipatory measures. Waiting two weeks to confirm its belief that Pakistan's restraint will not guarantee its security, Islamabad too carried out its nuclear tests at Chaghai on 28 and 30 May. Meanwhile, the Afghans continued to suffer with unchallenged power but no modern education or experience of running a country, the Taliban Government began to rule with harsh, unreasonable laws, based on questionable interpretation of religious tenets. The Taliban leaders were soon left without any friends except Pakistan, and they began to spurn the well-meant advice of even this last friend. The Taliban's repeated refusals to oust known terrorists made them an enemy to government, particularly after the shocking attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in September 2001. Pakistan strongly condemned these attacks and on its joining the international community's war on terrorism, the PAF was assigned vital national security tasks. Sensing an opportunity, India immediately began an arrogant display of its military power, while Pakistan, by the compulsions of its geo-strategic location, once again became a front line state.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]PAF F-16 DOWNS SU-22
1988
[/FONT] During the last stages of the Afghan War, Flight Lieutenant Khalid Mahmood of No 14 Squadron, destroys an SU-22 over the Thal area near the border. The pilot of the SU-22 ejected and was taken prisoner. The air defence controller for this interception was Squadron Leader Saif-ur-Rehman.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]PAF PILOTS EVALUATE THE F-7MG
1997
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Over the Cheng-du Aircraft Cooperation Factory in China, Group Captain Kaiser Tufail and Wing Commander Jamshed Khan flew a series of evaluation of fighter aircraft. The two PAF pilots felt honored to be the first pilots invited to evaluate the new aircraft.