Pakistan Air Force | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
History | |||||
History of the PAF | |||||
Aircraft | |||||
Air Force weaponry | |||||
Units and infrastructure | |||||
| |||||
Personnel | |||||
| |||||
Other information | |||||
| |||||
Below is a list of aircraft currently in active service with the Pakistan Air Force.
Aircraft | Manufacturer | Image | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat Aircraft | |||||||||
J-10 Vigorous Dragon | Chengdu Aerospace Corporation | China | Jet | Multirole | 11 March 2022 [1] | 20 | 20 [2] [3] | J-10CE (20 delivered, 16 on order) [2] [3] [4] | |
JF-17 Thunder | Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Chengdu Aerospace Corporation | Pakistan China | Jet | Multirole | 18 February 2010 [5] | 156 | 161 [6] | JF-17A Block 1 (50) JF-17A Block 2 (62) JF-17B Block 2 (26) [7] JF-17C Block 3 (23 delivered, [a] 27 on order) [9] All Block 1 and 2 JF-17s are planned to be upgraded to Block 3 standard. | |
F-16 Fighting Falcon | General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin | United States | Jet | Multirole | 15 January 1983 [10] | 75 | 85 [11] | F-16AM Block 15 MLU (31) [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] F-16BM Block 15 MLU (23) [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] F-16A Block 15 ADF (9) [11] [14] F-16B Block 15 ADF (4) [11] [14] | |
Mirage III | Dassault Aviation | France | Jet | Multirole | 1968 | 87 | 135 | Several variants with extensive Project ROSE upgraded by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. All Mirage IIIs being replaced by JF-17Cs and J-10Cs. [16] [17] [18] | |
Mirage 5 | Dassault Aviation | France | Jet | Attack, Reconnaissance | 1970 | 92 | 139 | Several variants with extensive Project ROSE upgraded by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. All Mirage 5s being replaced by JF-17Cs and J-10Cs. [18] [17] | |
F-7 | Chengdu Aerospace Corporation | China | Jet | Interceptor | 2002 | 53 | 60 [19] | F-7PGs. All being replaced by JF-17Cs. [20] | |
Trainer Aircraft | |||||||||
K-8 | Hongdu, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex | China | Jet | Intermediate Jet Trainer | 1994 | 60 | 60 | K-8 (12) K-8P (48) Produced under license by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, designated as Karakorum-8. [21] | |
T-37 Tweet | Cessna | United States | Jet | Basic Jet Trainer | 1962 | 69 | 73 | T-37B/C. [22] Older T-37s to be eventually replaced with K-8Ps. | |
MFI-17 Mushshak | Pakistan Aeronautical Complex | Pakistan, Sweden | Turboprop | Primary Trainer | 1974 | 145 | 151 | MFI-17 Mushshak (115) Super Mushshak (30) Some MFI-17 Mushshaks to be upgraded to Super Mushshak standard. [23] | |
Strategic Airlift & Aerial Refueling Aircraft | |||||||||
Il-78 | Ilyushin | Russia | Jet | Strategic Airlift Transporter/Aerial Refueler | 2009 | 4 | 4 | Il-78MP. Dual-role aerial refeulers and freighters. Ex-Ukrainian Air Force. [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] | |
Transport Aircraft | |||||||||
C-130 Hercules | Lockheed Martin | United States | Turboprop | Tactical Airlift Transporter | 1963 | 23 | 25 | C-130B (5) C-130E (7) C-130H (13) All C-130s overhauled and upgraded by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. [29] [17] [30] [31] | |
Saab 2000 | Saab | Sweden | Turboprop | Transport, Training | 2008 | 7 | 7 | Also used to train aircrew for the Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C. [32] | |
Y-12 | Harbin Aircraft Industry Group | China | Turboprop | Utility | 1993 | 2 | 2 | Y-12II. [32] | |
Airbus A319 | Airbus | France | Jet | Multirole | July 2022 | 1 | 1 | A319-112 [32] [33] Previously operated by Avion Express (Lithuania). | |
Global 6000 | Bombardier | Canada | Jet | VIP Transport | 2022 | 1 | 1 | May be converted to EW, ESM, ECM platform in future. [34] [35] | |
Citation V | Cessna | United States | Jet | VIP Transport | 1 | 1 | [36] | ||
Gulfstream IV | Gulfstream | United States | Jet | VIP Transport | 2004 | 2 | 2 | Gulfstream IV-SP [37] and Gulfstream IV G-450 [38] | |
Phenom 100 | Embraer | Brazil | Jet | VIP Transport | 2009 | 4 | 4 | [39] [40] [41] | |
Airborne Early Warning & Control Aircraft | |||||||||
Saab 2000 AEW&C | Saab | Sweden | Turboprop | AEW&C | 2011 | 9 | 10 | Equipped with the Saab Erieye AEW&C system. [42] [43] [44] | |
Electronic Warfare Aircraft | |||||||||
Dassault Falcon 20 | Dassault Aviation | France | Jet | EW, ESM, ECM | 1986 | 3 | 3 | Modified electronic warfare version of the Dassault Falcon 20 business jet. [32] | |
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles | |||||||||
Burraq | NESCOM | Pakistan | MALE UCAV, UAV | Strike, Reconnaissance | 2014 | 13 | 13 | Used jointly with Pakistan Army. [45] | |
Shahpar-II | Global Industrial Defence Solutions | Pakistan | MALE UCAV, UAV | Strike, Reconnaissance | 2021 | Unknown | Unknown | [46] | |
Anka | Turkish Aerospace Industries, NESCOM | Turkey, Pakistan | MALE UCAV, UAV | Strike, Reconnaissance | 2021 | Unknown | Unknown | Contract signed between TAI and NESCOM in August 2021 for local production of Anka UCAVs with technology transfer to Pakistan. [47] | |
Bayraktar Akıncı | Baykar | Turkey | HALE UCAV, UAV | Strike, Reconnaissance | 2023 | 2 | 2 | 5 on order. [48] [49] | |
Bayraktar TB2 | Baykar | Turkey | MALE UCAV, UAV | Strike, Reconnaissance | 2022 | Unknown | Unknown | [50] [51] [52] | |
Wing Loong II | Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group | China | MALE UCAV, UAV | Strike, Reconnaissance | 2021 | 3 | 3 | 47 on order [53] | |
CH-4 Rainbow | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | China | UCAV, UAV | Strike, Reconnaissance | 2021 | 12-24 | 12-24 | CH-4A and CH-4B. [54] [55] | |
Shahpar | Global Industrial Defence Solutions | Pakistan | UAV | Reconnaissance | 2012 | 6 | 6 | [56] [57] | |
Jasoos II | SATUMA | Pakistan | UAV | Reconnaissance | 2010 | 46 | 46 | Bravo+. [58] | |
Falco | Selex ES, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex | Italy, Pakistan | UAV | Reconnaissance | 2007 | 26 | 26 | Produced under license by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex since 2008 with technology transfer to Pakistan. [59] [60] | |
Helicopters | |||||||||
Mi-17 | Mil | Russia | Helicopter | Transport, Utility | 2010 | 40[ citation needed ] | Mil Mi-17-1 [61] [62] | ||
AW139 | AgustaWestland | Italy | Helicopter | SAR, Utility | 2018 | 14 | 14 | AW139M [63] [64] |
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 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.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces, established four years after the nation became independent. As at 2021, the air force is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of over 18,000 personnel. Some of its popular aircraft include the Chengdu F-7s, Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets, JF-17 Thunder Block II, T129 Atak, Agusta Westland 109, Eurocopter EC135 and Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano.
The Dassault nEUROn is an experimental unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) being developed with international cooperation, led by the French company Dassault Aviation. Countries involved in this project include France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The design goal is to create a stealthy, autonomous UAV that can function in medium-to-high threat combat zones.
The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon, is a medium-weight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft using a delta wing and canard design. It is produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF). The J-10 is mainly designed for air-to-air combat, but can also perform strike missions.
The CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder, or FC-1 Xiaolong, is a lightweight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. It was designed and developed as a replacement for the A-5C, F-7P/PG, Mirage III, and Mirage V combat aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The JF-17 can be used for multiple roles, including interception, ground attack, anti-ship, and aerial reconnaissance. The Pakistani designation "JF-17" stands for "Joint Fighter-17", with the "Joint Fighter" denoting the joint Pakistani-Chinese development of the aircraft and the "-17" denoting that, in the PAF's vision, it is the successor to the F-16. The Chinese designation "FC-1" stands for "Fighter China-1".
The Erieye radar system is an Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) developed by Saab Electronic Defence Systems, formerly Ericsson Microwave Systems, of Sweden. It uses active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology. The Erieye is used on a variety of aircraft platforms, such as the Saab 340 and Embraer R-99. It has recently been implemented on the Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft as the GlobalEye.
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) is a major defense contractor and an aerospace manufacturer that is headquartered in Kamra, Punjab, Pakistan.
Project ROSE was a program by the Pakistan Air Force to upgrade the avionics of its ageing Dassault Mirage III and Mirage 5 fighter jets. These had originally been built either by Dassault Aviation in France, or by the Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) in Australia. The program, based at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, focused on upgrading the military avionics and onboard computer systems, with equipment supplied variously by Pakistani Margella Electronics, French SAGEM and Italian SELEX consortia.
PAF Base Murid, is an operational flying base of the Pakistan Air Force located near the village of Murid in the Chakwal District of Punjab. It houses the UCAV and UAV fleet of the PAF.
Pakistan Air Force Base, Minhas is a PAF Airbase located at Attock District, Punjab, Pakistan. It was named in the honour of Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, who was awarded the Nishan-e-Haider for valor in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Pakistan Aeronautical Complex is located in Minhas Airbase which manufactures aircraft like CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder, PAC MFI-17 Mushshak, Hongdu JL-8. It also rebuilds aircraft like the Dassault Mirage and Chengdu F-7. Currently, PAF Base Minhas is equipped with JF-17 aircraft operated by No.16 Squadron also called "Black Panthers".
The Falco is a tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and produced by Selex ES. The UAV is designed to be a medium-altitude, medium-endurance surveillance platform capable of carrying a range of payloads, including several types of high-resolution sensors. A larger variant, the Falco EVO, is capable of carrying larger payloads is also available. Neither system is designed to carry weapons, The launch customer, Pakistan, reportedly wanted the Falco armed, a request that Italy rejected.
Project Sabre II was the Pakistan Air Force's program to develop a feasible and low-cost multirole combat jet based on an existing design—the Chengdu F-7 Skybolt, a Chinese variant of the MiG–21. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) initiated Project Sabre II in 1987, hiring the American aerospace firm Grumman, to provide crucial expertise to refine the baseline aircraft design along with specialists from the PAF and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The No. 26 Squadron, nicknamed the Black Spiders, is a multi-role squadron of the Pakistan Air Force's Northern Air Command. It is currently based at Peshawar Airbase and operates the PAC JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter jets.
No. 16 Squadron, nicknamed the Black Panthers, is a multi-role squadron of the Pakistan Air Force's Northern Air Command. It is currently based at Minhas Airbase and operates the PAC JF-17 Thunder multi-role jets.
The No. 15 Squadron, nicknamed Cobras, is a tactical attack squadron of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The Squadron is currently based at PAF Base Minhas in Kamra, Punjab, Pakistan and equipped with Chengdu J-10C multirole fighter jets. The Squadron also carries the honour of achieving the first kill for the PAF.