The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when required, and a tertiary role of providing strategic airlift capability to Pakistan. As of 2024, as per the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the PAF has more than 70,000 active-duty personnel. PAF stands as the eight largest Air Force in the world. PAF is the largest Air Force of the Muslim world in terms of aircraft fleet. Its primary mandate and mission is "to provide, in synergy with other inter-services, the most efficient, assured and cost effective aerial defence of Pakistan." Since its establishment in 1947, the PAF has been involved in various combat operations, providing aerial support to the operations and relief efforts of the Pakistani military. Under Article 243, the Constitution of Pakistan appoints the President of Pakistan as the civilian Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), by statute a four-star air officer, is appointed by the President with the consultation and confirmation needed from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
PAF Base Mushaf, IATA: MSF, ICAO: OPMH), is a Pakistan Air Force airbase situated at Sargodha in Punjab, Pakistan. It is designated as a "Major Operational Base" (MOB) by the PAF.
Red Flag-Alaska is a realistic, ten-day air combat United States Air Force (USAF) training exercise held up to four times a year. It is held at Eielson Air Force Base and Elmendorf Air Force Base in the State of Alaska. Each Red Flag-Alaska exercise is a multi-service, multi-platform coordinated, combat operations exercise and corresponds to the designed operational capability of participating units. In other words, exercises often involve several units whose military mission may differ significantly from that of other participating units. Red Flag-Alaska planners take those factors into consideration when designing exercises so participants get the maximum training possible without being placed at an unfair advantage during simulated combat scenarios.
During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, the Indian and Pakistani Air Forces engaged in large-scale aerial combat for the first time. In the air war, which took place in September, both air forces conducted thousands of defensive and offensive sorties over Indian and Pakistani airspace. Both India and Pakistan claimed victory in the air war; Pakistan claimed to have destroyed 104 Indian aircraft and lost 19, and India claimed to have destroyed 73 Pakistani aircraft and lost 35 of its own. The air war ended in a stalemate.
Air Marshal Mohammed Azim Daudpota, commonly known as Azim Daudpota, was the first Sindhi pilot in Pakistan Air Force and the first Sindhi to receive the Sitara-e-Jurrat Award.
Rao Qamar SulemanNI(M) HI(M) SI(M) SBt TI(M) LoM was the 12th Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force. The four-star ranked general commanded the PAF from 2009 to 2012. Earlier, Suleman served as Deputy Chief of Air Staff of Operations. He was succeeded by Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt as Chief of Air Staff on 7 March 2012.
Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood AlamSJ & Bar SI(M), popularly known as M. M. Alam, was a Pakistani fighter pilot and war hero, officially credited by the Pakistan Air Force with having downed five Indian fighter aircraft in under a minute and establishing a world record during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War.
No. 9 Squadron, named the Griffins, is a Pakistan Air Force fighter squadron assigned to the No. 38 Multi-Role Wing of the PAF Central Air Command. The squadron is stationed at PAF Base Mushaf, Sargodha. It was the PAF's first fighter squadron and has been commanded by seven Chiefs of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force. The squadron crest is a red griffin which symbolises strength, aggressiveness, and vigilance. Scrolls around the squadron crest display the battle honours Sargodha 65 and Karachi 71.The Griffins are considered as the PAF's most elite unit as well as its most senior.
No. 11 Squadron, named the Arrows, is a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter squadron assigned to the No. 39 Multi-Role Wing of the PAF Southern Air Command. It operates the Block 15 MLU model of the F-16 Fighting Falcon with a multi-role tasking and is also an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).
The history of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) began when it was established in 1947 following the independence of Pakistan.
The No. 24 Electronic Warfare Squadron, nicknamed the Blinders, is an electronic warfare unit of the Pakistan Air Force equipped with DA 20EW Faclons. It is the PAF's only Electronic Warfare squadron and undertakes EW, ECM and ESM missions while also training Pilots, Air Defense controllers and engineering officers in EW environments.
Exercise Saffron Bandit is a major "command level" combat training exercise, usually held either bi-annually or tri-annually, by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Pakistan. The initial targets, mainstream goals and purpose of the exercise are focused specifically on the threat from India, particularly that emanating from the Indian Air Force.
Military exercises are conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces to increase combat readiness, and to identify problems in logistics, training, and current military doctrine. They also test the ability of units to work together. Lastly, they act as a visible expression of military might, which acts as a deterrent to potential enemy action. An important component of each exercise is the after-action assessment. Since 1989 the four branches services have increasingly begun coordinated exercises.
Air Chief Marshal Sohail AmanNI(M) HI(M) SI(M) TI(M) LoM is a retired four star air officer who served as the Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force. He took charge from Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt on 19 March 2015. He retired on 18 March 2018, on completion of the three-year term as Air Chief.
The Combat Commanders' School or CCS is the advanced air combat tactics development and training school of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) based at PAF Base Mushaf, Sargodha, Pakistan.
The PAF Airpower Centre of Excellence or PAF ACE is an airpower and air warfare research, planning, and development facility of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) based at PAF Base Mushaf, Sargodha, Pakistan.
The Central Air Command (CAC) is one of six Major Commands in the Pakistan Air Force, reporting to the Air Headquarters at Islamabad. It is the forefront command of the PAF which handles operational activities near the Indian borders in Pakistan's Punjab province. Central Air Command is headquartered at PAF Base Lahore in the provincial capital of Lahore.
The No. 23 Squadron, nicknamed Talons, is an air superiority fighter squadron of the Pakistan Air Force. It is based at PAF Base Samungli in the Balochistan province of Pakistan and operates the Chengdu F-7PG aircraft.
The 29 Aggressor squadron is a unit of the Pakistan Air Force which flies F-16s out of Mushaf Airbase. It is the sole squadron which undertakes Aggressor emulation in the air force and is part of the PAF's Airpower Center of Excellence.
No. 20 Air Superiority Squadron nicknamed Cheetahs is a unit of the Pakistan Air Force established in 1956. It flies the Chengdu F-7PG Airguard jets and is based at PAF Base MM Alam. Initially formed as a photo reconnaissance flight at PAF Base Mauripur, the squadron has evolved over the decades, participating in significant missions and conflicts. It currently operates Chengdu F-7PG Airguard jets and is based at PAF Base MM Alam. The squadron has a rich history, including contributions to the demarcation of the China–Pakistan border, the World Bank's Indus Basin Project, and active roles in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars. After being disbanded in 1972 and reactivated in 1977, the squadron transitioned through various aircraft, including the Dassault Mirage IIIRP and Shenyang F-6, before adopting the Chengdu F-7P Skybolts and later the F-7PGs. The squadron celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2008 and continues to play a vital role in PAF's operational activities and exercises.
Pakistan