PAF Base Bholari

PAF Base Bholari
پی اے ایف بیس بھولاری
Bholari, Jamshoro District, Sindh in  Pakistan
Site information
Type	Air Force base
Code	PK-0070
Owner	Ministry of Defense
Operator	Pakistan Air Force
Controlled by	Southern Air Command
Condition	Operational
Website	Pakistan Air Force
Location
PAF Base Bholari Shown witih Sindh Show map of Sindh PAF Base Bholari PAF Base Bholari (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates	25°14′35″N68°02′11″E / 25.24306°N 68.03639°E / 25.24306; 68.03639
Site history
Built	1942 (1942) & 2015
Built for	British India Pakistan Air Force
Built by	British Raj (foundation) Bholari Development Board (later upgradation)
Architect	Project Bholari
In use	1942-1945 2015-Present
Battles/wars	Operation Swift Retort 2025 India-Pakistan conflict
Garrison information
Garrison	41 Tactical Wing
Occupants	18 OCU "Sharp Shooters" 19 OCU "Sherdils" 53 AEW&C Squadron "Hawks"
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: none, ICAO: none
Runways Direction Length and surface 04R/22L 3,365 metres (11,040 ft)  Asphalt 04L/22R 3,365 metres (11,040 ft)  Asphalt
Reference(s): [1] [2]

PAF Base Bholari is a Main operating base (MOB) of the Pakistan Air Force located at Bholari north-east of Karachi in Sindh and is home to the 41st Wing. Inaugurated in late 2017, the installation is PAF's newest airbase which is controlled by the Southern Air Command and supports operations of the armed forces in the southern regions with an additional task to safeguard the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

History

During the Second World War, the British Raj constructed an airfield near the small town of Bholari for wartime emergencies. This airfield was inherited by the Royal Pakistan Air Force after independence of Pakistan in 1947. Even though for the next couple of decades, it remained unused and existed as a satellite base, the PAF valued its strategic location as it believed it would enhance its operational capabilities in supporting the wartime operations of the Pakistan Armed Forces in southern regions both on land and sea. Accordingly, Air Headquarters (AHQ) conceived the idea of transforming Bholari into a Main Operating Base for fighter squadrons in November 1979. However, the lack of funding prevented the plan from materializing. ^[2]

By July 2014, the raging War on Terror and changing Geo-political environment had raised concerns amongst the Pakistani military leadership which resulted in the direct approval of an MOB at Bholari for the PAF. Previously, AHQ had formed a council which oversaw and managed the construction of PAF Base Shahbaz codenamed "Project Shahbaz". Owing to its previous experience, Project Shahbaz was assigned with overseeing the development of the new Bholari airbase officially called "PAF Base Bholari". Project Shahbaz initiated efforts for the establishment of "Bholari Development Board" (BDB) which would oversee the legal management of the project. The proposal of BDB was approved by the Ministry of Defence in October 2015. The earth breaking ceremony took place in December 2015 and construction work finally started. The airbase was inaugurated on 25 December 2017. ^[2]

In 2020, the base hosted Exercise Shaheen IX, a joint Pakistani-Chinese aerial exercise. ^[8]

2025 Indian Missile Strike

In May 2025, during 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, satellite imagery showed damage to a hangar at the Bholari air base. A missile strike caused a nearly 80-foot-wide hole in the hangar roof, with debris scattered around the structure. ^[9] As per ISPR briefings, five PAF personnel, including one squadron leader and one chief tech were killed in the strike. ^[10]

The large metallic hangar at Bholari is usually used to store a FALCON DA-20 Airborne Electronic Warfare (EW) and jamming aircraft, according to a defense analyst. PAF have 3-4 such EW/ jamming aircraft and will be replaced soon with new EW aircraft by Brazilian made Embraer, Italian and Turkish equipment. Whether the aircraft was inside the hangar during the attack remains uncertain. ^[11]

See also

• List of Pakistan Air Force bases

References

1. "PAF Bholari data". Airport Map.
2. Khan, Farhat; Hashmi, Qadeer (2024). History of the Pakistan Air Force (2014-2023): The Next Generation Air Force (1st ed.). Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS). ISBN   978-969-7518-01-2.
3. Khan, Bilal (2017-12-27). "Pakistan Air Force inaugurates new air base – PAF Bholari". Quwa.org.
4. "PAF's Bholari base inaugurated". Dawn. 2017-12-26.
5. "PAF inaugurates new operational air base at Bholari near Karachi". Geo News. 2017-12-25.
6. "New operational air base inaugurated at Bholari near Karachi". The News International. 2017-12-26.
7. "PAF inaugurates airbase at Bholari near Karachi". ETribune. 2017-12-26.
8. "China-Pakistan Air Forces to hold joint exercises - Times of India". The Times of India. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
9. Mashal, Mujib; Agnes Chang, Pablo Robles (14 May 2025). "India and Pakistan Talked Big, But Satellite Imagery Shows Limited Damage". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
10. "11 soldiers martyred, 78 wounded while defending Pakistan in Indian attack: ISPR". Dawn. May 13, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
11. Piper, Imogen; Hill, Evan; Javaid, Maham; Noack, Rick (2025-05-14). "Indian strikes on Pakistan damaged six airfields, Post analysis finds". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2025-05-20.