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, 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.
Sargodha is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in central Punjab, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 11th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as the City of Eagles.
Pakistan Air Force Base, M.M. Alam is a Pakistan Air Force airbase located at Mianwali, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The base is named after Muhammad Mahmood Alam. Earlier it was called PAF Base Mianwali, its name was changed in 2014.
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.
Tanvir Mahmood AhmedNI(M) HI(M) SI(M) SBt is a retired air chief of the Pakistan Air Force who was the Chief of the Air Staff from 2006 to 2009. He was succeeded by Rao Qamar Suleman on 18 March 2009.
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.
Sargodha Cantonment is a cantonment adjacent to the Sargodha Airbase in Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan.
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 suggests 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).
No. 7 Squadron, nicknamed the Bandits, is a tactical attack squadron of the Pakistan Air Force. Which is under the No. 38 Tactical Attack wing.
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.
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.
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 Pakistan military services have established number of training schools, academies, universities and command & staff colleges across the Pakistan for the purpose of training soldiers and officers in military science, warfare command and strategy and associated technologies.
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 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.
Muhammad Zahid Mahmood HI TI SI is a retired air marshal and flight instructor in the Pakistan Air Force who served as the 6th vice chief of air staff. Prior to assuming the office in March 2022, he commanded the Combat Commanders' School at PAF Base Mushaf.
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.
Exercise Indus Shield is a large-scale international aerial warfare exercise held by the Airpower Centre of Excellence (ACE) in Sargodha, Pakistan. The aim of the exercise is to simulate various military tactics by enabling participating air powers to maximise their warfighting potential in air operations through synergistic employment of multi-domain capabilities in an integrated training environment. It consists of a traditional "Blue force" vs. "Red force" scenario with participants engaging each other in simulated battles.
Pakistan 
Pakistan Air Force