Indo-Pakistani air war of 1971

Indo-Pakistani air war of 1971
Part of the Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
Indian Mig-21 pair during 1971 India-Pakistan War
Date 3–16 December 1971 Location Indian subcontinent Result Indian victory
Belligerents
India	Pakistan
Commanders and leaders
Pratap Chandra Lal Hari Chand Dewan Mohinder Singh Bawa Cecil Vivian Parker Chandan Singh K. K. Badhwar	Abdur Rahim Khan P. D. Callaghan   Eric Gordon Hall Inamul H. Khan   Michael John O'Brian Sharbat Ali Changezi
Units involved
Indian Air Force	Pakistan Air Force
Strength
~650 aircraft [1]	~290 aircraft [2]
Casualties and losses
45 [3] –65 [4] IAF Aircraft	75 PAF Aircraft [3]
1 Royal Air Force (RAF) Canberra shot down by Pakistan Air Force [5]

The Indo-Pakistani air war of 1971 was the aerial conflict fought between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. This air war was waged on both the Western Front (India and West Pakistan) and the Eastern Front (India and East Pakistan). The air engagements played a vital role in shaping the war's outcome and demonstrated significant advancements in aerial warfare tactics. ^[2]

Background

The war was part of the broader Bangladesh Liberation War, which had begun earlier in March 1971. The Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight to suppress the Nationalist Movement, killing thousands of people and forcing Bengalis to become refugee at India. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the most prominent leader of Bengal had declared the Independence of Bangladesh right after the Operation, resulting the official start of Bangladesh Liberation War. ^{[6] [7]}

The air war had begun after Pakistan launched Operation Genghis Khan in the Western Front, provoking a direct war with India. The Indian Air Force reportedly got engaged in the aerial warfare right after the operation on 3 December 1971. ^[8]

Commanders

**Pakistan Air Force Commanders in the 1971 War**

Rank	Name	Position	Role
Air Marshal	Abdur Rahim Khan	Commander-in-Chief	Overall commander of PAF operations; led strategic planning and air defense coordination. [9] [10] [11]
Air Vice Marshal	Eric Gordon Hall	Chief of Staff	Managed war logistics, operational execution, and coordination of PAF strategies. [12] [13] [14]
Air Vice Marshal	Patrick Desmond Callaghan	Chief Inspector and Deputy Chief	Oversaw air operations in West and East Pakistan; signed Instrument of Surrender as senior PAF officer. [15] [16] [17]
Air Vice Marshal	Inamul Haque Khan	Eastern Air Commander	Senior-most PAF officer in East Pakistan; directed air operations before surrendering on Dec 16, 1971. [18] [19] [20]

Air War on the Western Front

Operation Chengiz Khan

On the 3rd December 1971, Pakistan launched Operation Chengiz Khan and attacked 11 airfields of India, provoking a war. The attack turned out to be a failure, as IAF suffered minimal damages and the damages were repaired overnight. This attack was retaliated by India forces, as India was officially in a war with Pakistan from that day. ^{[21] [22] [23]}

Indian Counteroffensive

In response to Pakistan's initial strikes, the IAF launched a massive retaliatory campaign against PAF airfields in Chaklala, Murid, Mianwali, Sargodha, Chandhar, Risalewala, Rafiqui, Masroor and Shorkot Road. ^[24] Over the next two weeks, the IAF engaged in heavy air combat with the PAF, achieving substantial victories in air-to-air engagements and ground-attack operations. ^[25]

Key Battles in the West

Battle of Longewala: On 5 December, IAF Hawker Hunter jets destroyed Pakistani armored columns in the Thar Desert, halting Pakistan’s offensive. ^[26]

Air Superiority Battles: The IAF employed MiG-21s, Hawker Hunters, and Su-7s to counter Pakistani F-86 Sabres, Mirage III, and the F-104 Starfighter, achieving favorable kill ratios.^{[ citation needed ]}

Bombing of Karachi: On 8 December, IAF Canberra bombers struck Karachi Port oil storage tanks, causing massive fires and crippling Pakistan’s fuel reserves. ^[27]

Air War on the Eastern Front

Indian Air Superiority

Unlike the Western Front, the Eastern Front saw the swift and overwhelming dominance of the IAF. The Pakistan Eastern Air Command, headed by Air Marshal Inamul Haque Khan, only consisted of one squadron of F-86 Sabres, which was unable to retaliate Air offensive of the IAF, which deployed MiG-21s, Su-7s, and Hunters. ^{[28] [29]}

Key Battles in the East

Early in the war, the IAF bombed Tejgaon and Kurmitola airbase on 4 December, effectively neutralizing PAF operations in East Pakistan. The IAF provided crucial close air support (CAS) for the Indian Army and Mukti Bahini advancing into Dhaka. ^[30]

The Tangail airdrop was a crucial airborne operation during the 1971 war, where Indian paratroopers were dropped near Tangail to capture the Poongli Bridge. Launched on December 11, 1971, using 46 IAF aircraft, the mission successfully secured the bridge, cutting off Pakistani forces and accelerating the Indian Army's advance toward Dhaka. ^[31]

By 10 December, the remainder of the PAF had fled to Burma and the IAF had total air superiority over East Pakistan, allowing for unhindered operations that led to the Fall of Dhaka by 16 December 1971.

Aircraft Used

Indian Air Force

MiG-21 (Interceptor and dogfighter)

Sukhoi Su-7 (Ground attack)

Hawker Hunter (Multirole)

HAL HF-24 Marut (Ground attack)

Folland Gnat (Interceptor)

Mil Mi-4 (Troop transport and airborne assault)

Pakistan Air Force

F-86 Sabre (Fighter-bomber)

Mirage III (Interceptor and strike aircraft)

F-104 Starfighter (High-speed interceptor)

B-57 Canberra (Bomber)

C-130 Hercules (Transport operations)

Mil Mi-8 (Troop transport and assault)

Outcome and Impact

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 ended with an Indian victory. The IAF gained complete air superiority in the Eastern Theater and significant operational advantage in the Western Front. The PAF lost approximately 75 aircraft, while the IAF lost around 45—65 aircraft, marking a costly conflict for both sides. However, India's strategic use of air power was a major factor in the war’s outcome, leading to Pakistan’s surrender on 16 December 1971 and the creation of Bangladesh.

References

1. Ravi Rikhye, The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Helion & Company, 2019.
2. Air Commodore Kaiser Tufail (Retired) (2020-07-15). Against All Odds The Pakistan Air Force In The 1971 Indo Pakistan War. Helion Limited. p. 17. ISBN   9781913118648.
3. Leonard, Thomas M. (2006). Encyclopedia of the Developing World. Taylor & Francis. p. 806. ISBN   978-0-415-97664-0.
4. The Encyclopedia of 20th Century Air Warfare, edited by Chris Bishop (Amber publishing 1997, republished 2004 pages 384–387 ISBN   1-904687-26-1)
5. The Air War of 1971 Indo-Pak Conflict, Defstrat.com.
6. "Genocide in Bangladesh, 1971". Gendercide watch. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
7. "Emerging Discontent, 1966–70". Country Studies Bangladesh. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
8. "1971: Pakistan intensifies air raids on India". 1971-12-03. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
9. Browne, Malcolm W. Browne (29 December 1971). "Man in the News". The New York Times. Islamabad, NY Times Bureau. The New York Times. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
10. "Abdur Rahim Khan | Pride of Pakistan | Commemorations | PrideOfPakistan.com". prideofpakistan.com. Pride. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
11. Hussain, Syed Shabbir; Qureshi, M. Tariq (1982). History of the Pakistan Air Force, 1947-1982. Pakistan Air Force. p. 222. ISBN   978-0-19-648045-9.
12. Azam Qadri; Muhammad Ali (2014). Sentinels in the Sky: A Saga of PAF's Gallant Air Warriors. PAF Book Club, Islamabad. pp. 109–112.
13. Pakistan News Digest. Vol. 18. 28 April 1970. p. 11.
14. Piotrowski, General Pete (2014). Basic Airman to General: The Secret War & Other Conflicts Lessons in Leadership & Life. Xlibris Corporation. p. 579. ISBN   978-1-4931-6188-1.
15. "Flight of the Falcon- Demolishing Myths of Indo Pak Wars 1965-1971 – Sajad S. Haider | সংগ্রামের নোটবুক" . Retrieved 2025-05-24.
16. Group Captain (R) Sultan Mehmood Hali (December 14, 2020). "Chuck Yeager — the flying legend — breaks the final barrier". International, TheNews.com.pk.
17. ANI. "Looking back 45 years after liberation of Bangladesh". Archived from the original on 2016-12-24. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
18. Haq, Inamul (1999). Memoirs of Insignificance. Lahore: Dar-ut-Tazkeer. p. 276. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
19. Haque, Inamul. "Saga of PAF in East Pakistan – 1971 : Planet Earth". Planet earth. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
20. Khan, Sher (February 2001). "Last Flight from East Pakistan". www.defencejournal.com. Defence Journal. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
21. Hiro, Dilip (2012). Apocalyptic Realm: Jihadists in South Asia. Yale University Press. p. 143. ISBN   9780300173789.
22. Riedel, Bruce (17 January 2012). Deadly Embrace: Pakistan, America, and the Future of the Global Jihad. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. p. 10. ISBN   9780815722748.
23. Lal, PC. My Years with the IAF. Lancer Publishers LLC. ISBN   9781935501756.
24. Tom Cooper, with Syed Shaiz Ali. "India – Pakistan War, 1971; Western Front, part I". Air Combat Information Group. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
25. "My years with the IAF" by Air Chief Marshal P C Lal
26. An IAF pilot's account of the battle Archived 5 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine , Suresh
27. "The Sunday Tribune - Books". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
28. "An Epic Air Combat Mission Over Dacca". Hilal Publications. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
29. "How IAF's Hunters Altered The Course of The 1971 War By Dominating Skies And Seizing Enemy Airfields" . Retrieved 2025-06-06.
30. "1971 war: How IAF's air superiority helped in the early fall of Dhaka". Firstpost. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
31. Deshpande, Smruti (2024-12-16). "'Tangail drop' & Meghna heli-lift: IAF ops that gave India edge over Pakistan in 1971 Bangladesh War". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-06-06.