Pakistan Air Force | |||||
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History | |||||
History of the PAF | |||||
Aircraft | |||||
Air Force weaponry | |||||
Units and infrastructure | |||||
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Personnel | |||||
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Other information | |||||
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Below is a list of aircraft currently in active service with the Pakistan Air Force.
Aircraft | Manufacturer | Origin | Class | Role | Introduced | In service | Total | Notes |
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Combat Aircraft | ||||||||
J-10C Vigorous Dragon | CAC | China | Jet | Multirole | 11 March 2022 [1] | 20 | 20 [2] [3] | J-10CE (20 delivered, 16 on order) [2] [3] |
JF-17 Thunder | PAC, CAC | Pakistan / China | Jet | Multirole | 18 February 2010 [4] | 152 | 156 [5] | JF-17A Block 1 (50) JF-17A Block 2 (62) JF-17B Block 2 (26) [6] JF-17C Block 3 (18 delivered, [lower-alpha 1] 32 on order) [8] [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 | France | Jet | Multirole | 8 March 1968 [16] | 87 [17] | 135 | Several variants with extensive Project ROSE upgrades. All Mirage IIIs being replaced by Block 3 JF-17Cs [18] and J-10CEs. |
Mirage 5 | Dassault | France | Jet | Attack, Reconnaissance | 1970 | 92 [17] | 139 | Several variants with extensive Project ROSE upgrades. All Mirage 5s being replaced by Block 3 JF-17Cs [18] and J-10CEs. |
F-7PG Skybolt | CAC | China | Jet | Interceptor | 2002 | 53 | 60 [19] | All F-7PGs/FT-7PGs being replaced by Block 3 JF-17Cs. [20] |
Trainer Aircraft | ||||||||
Karakorum-8 (K-8) [21] | Hongdu, PAC | China / Pakistan | Jet | Intermediate Jet Trainer | 1994 | 60 | 60 | K-8 (12) K-8P (48) |
T-37 Tweet | Cessna | United States | Jet | Basic Jet Trainer | 1962 | 69 | 73 | T-37B/C. 20 refurbished ex-USAF T-37 delivered by end of 2008 to replace older T-37 or provide parts. [22] T-37 to be eventually replaced with K-8P. On 28 October 2015, the Turkish Air Force transferred 34 T-37Cs to the PAF, including spares. |
MFI-17 Mushshak | PAC | 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 [29] [17] [30] | 25 | C-130B (5) C-130E (7) C-130H (13) All C-130s overhauled and upgraded by PAC. [31] PAF had ordered 7 ex-Belgian Air Component refurbished C-130H aircraft in 2019. [32] [30] By June 2023, it had inducted all 7 aircraft into its fleet. [29] |
Saab 2000 | Saab | Sweden | Turboprop | Transport, Training | 2008 | 7 [33] | 7 | Also used to train aircrew for the Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C. Delivered in December 2008. |
Y-12 | Harbin | China | Turboprop | Utility | 1993 | 2 [33] | 2 | Y-12II |
Airbus A319 | Airbus | France | Jet | Multirole | July 2022 | 1 | 1 | A319-112 [33] [34] Previously operated by Avion Express (Lithuania). |
Global 6000 | Bombardier | Canada | Jet | VIP Transport | 2022 | 1 | 1 | [35] May be converted to EW, ESM, ECM platform in future. [36] |
Citation V | Cessna | United States | Jet | VIP Transport | 1 | 1 | [37] | |
Gulfstream IV | Gulfstream | United States | Jet | VIP Transport | 2004 | 2 | 2 | Gulfstream IV-SP [38] and Gulfstream IV G-450 [39] |
Phenom 100 | Embraer | Brazil | Jet | VIP Transport | 2009 | 4 | 4 | [40] [41] [42] |
Airborne Early Warning & Control Aircraft | ||||||||
Saab 2000 Erieye [43] | Saab | Sweden | Turboprop | AEW&C | 2011 | 9 | 10 | Saab 2000 equipped with the Saab Erieye AEW&C system. Three aircraft were damaged after Minhas airbase attack, of which two aircraft were repaired at PAC. Fleet restored to four aircraft by 2016 by acquiring an additional aircraft. Three more aircraft delivered in 2019. Two more ordered in 2020 and delivered by 2023. One aircraft lost until date. [44] [45] |
Electronic Warfare Aircraft | ||||||||
Falcon DA-20 | Dassault | France | Jet | EW, ESM, ECM | 1986 | 3 [33] | 3 | Modified electronic warfare version of the Dassault Falcon 20 business jet. |
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles | ||||||||
Bayraktar Akıncı | Baykar | Turkey | HALE UCAV, UAV | Reconnaissance, Strike | 2023 [46] | 1 | 1 | High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) UCAV. 1 delivered in 2023, 6 on order. [47] |
Bayraktar TB2 | Baykar | Turkey | MALE UCAV, UAV | Reconnaissance, Strike | 2022 [48] [49] | Unknown | Unknown | Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UCAV. Operationalized in January 2022. [50] |
Wing Loong II | CAIG | China | MALE UCAV, UAV | Reconnaissance, Strike | 2020 | 50 | 50 | Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UCAV. [51] |
Shahpar-II | GIDS | Pakistan | MALE UCAV, UAV | Reconnaissance, Strike | 2021 | Unknown | Unknown | Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UCAV. [52] |
Anka | TAI, NESCOM | Turkey / Pakistan | MALE UCAV, UAV | Reconnaissance, Strike | 2021 | Unknown | Unknown | Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UCAV. Contract signed between TAI and NESCOM in August 2021 for joint production of Anka UCAVs with technology transfer to Pakistan. [53] |
Burraq | NESCOM | Pakistan | UCAV, UAV | Reconnaissance, Strike | 2014 | 13 | 13 | Used jointly with Pakistan Army. [54] |
CH-4 Rainbow | CASC | China | UCAV, UAV | Reconnaissance, Strike | 2021 [55] | 12-24 | 12-24 | CH-4A and CH-4B. [56] [55] |
Falco | Selex ES / PAC | Italy / Pakistan | UAV | Reconnaissance | 2007 [57] | 26 | 26 | PAF launch customer for Falco UAV in 2007. [57] Manufactured under license at PAC since 2008 with technology transfer to Pakistan. [58] |
Shahpar | GIDS | Pakistan | UAV | Reconnaissance | 2012 [59] | 6 | 6 | [60] |
Jasoos II | SATUMA | Pakistan | UAV | Reconnaissance, Training | 2010 | 46 | 46 | Bravo+. Primary work horse for UAV Operations and Training Program. [61] |
Helicopters | ||||||||
Mi-17 | Mil | Russia | Helicopter | Transport, Utility | 2010 | 40[ citation needed ] | Mil Mi-17-1 [62] [63] | |
AW139 | AgustaWestland | Italy | Helicopter | SAR, Utility | 2018 | 14 | 14 | AW139M [64] [65] |
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.
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The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon, is a medium-weight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft capable of all-weather operations, configured with a delta wing and canard design, with fly-by-wire flight controls, and 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 fourth-generation replacement for the third-generation 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".
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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.
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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.
Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik was a 3 Star retired officer in the Pakistan Air Force and the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan International Airlines from 2019 to 2022.
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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.
The No. 14 Squadron, nicknamed Tail Choppers, is an air superiority squadron of the Pakistan Air Force's Central Air Command. It is one of PAF's most decorated squadrons which earned its nickname after a daring strike mission on the Kalaikunda Air Force Station during the 1965 War. Currently, the Squadron is deployed at PAF Base Rafiqui and operates the PAC JF-17 Thunder multirole aircraft.