PAF Base Nur Khan

Last updated

Nur Khan Air Force Base, Chaklala
PAF Nur Khan.jpg
Logo of PAF Base Nur Khan
Summary
Airport type Military
Owner Government of Pakistan
Operator Pakistan Air Force
Serves Chaklala, Rawalpindi
Location Rawalpindi-46210, Punjab
Built1935 [1]
Commander Pak-air-force-OF-6.svg US-O7 insignia.svg

Air Commodore

Itazaz Hussain
Occupants Pakistan Air Force

Pakistan Air Force Base, Nur Khan (founded as RAF Station Chaklala and previously known as PAF Base Chaklala) is an active Pakistan Air Force airbase located in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan. The former Benazir Bhutto International Airport forms part of this airbase. Fazaia Intermediate College, Nur Khan is also located in the base. [1]

Contents

History

PAF Base Nur Khan PAF Base Nur Khan.jpg
PAF Base Nur Khan
USAF C-17 on the taxiway of the base USAF C-17 at Chaklala AirBase.jpg
USAF C-17 on the taxiway of the base

The base was originally operated by the Royal Air Force as RAF Chaklala and, during the Second World War, parachute training flights were conducted. [1]

Once transferred to the then Royal Pakistan Air Force the base came into use as a transport hub, with the PAF's fleet of various transport aircraft operating from it. [2] [3]

After the Pakistan earthquake of 2005, 300 U.S. troops as well as U.S. aircraft were deployed to Chaklala to aid in relief efforts. According to an anonymous 2013 source, the U.S. had maintained a permanent military presence at Chaklala since late 2001 for handling logistics efforts and other movements in relation to the war in Afghanistan. [4]

In 2009 the PAF's first of four Il-78 aerial refuelling tanker aircraft was delivered to PAF Base Chaklala and the No. 10 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) squadron was established there. [5]

The name of the base was changed in 2012 from PAF Base Chaklala to PAF Base Nur Khan in remembrance of its first Base Commander in 1947, Air Marshal Nur Khan. Nur Khan was also the second Pakistani chief of the Pakistan Air Force and a veteran of several conflicts fought by Pakistan. [1] [6]

Squadrons

The squadrons at the base are Nos 6, 10, 12, and 41.

No. 6 Squadron was formed without any aircraft or equipment on 14 August 1947 at Maripur, Karachi, under its first commanding officer, Flight Lieutenant M. J. Khan. On 16 August 1947, Air Officer Commanding Air Vice Marshal visited the squadron and commissioned it for heavy airlifting and airborne operations. The PAF acquired a Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft on 22 October 1947 and later obtained Bristol Freighter, Tiger Moth, and Auster AOP.9 aircraft. On 29 June 1948, a detachment of the squadron provided a guard of honour at Mauripur for Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah on his arrival from Quetta. On 9 September 1948, three Dakota aircraft performed a flypast at the Quaid-e-Azam's funeral ceremony.

In the 1965 India-Pakistan War the Antelopes dropped parachute commandos into Indian territory in a night-time mission involving three C-130B transports. Just before the 1965 war started, the squadron's commanding officer, Wing Commander Eric Gordan Hall, had the idea of making up for the PAF's deficiency in heavy bombers by modifying the Hercules to carry bombs.[2] It was converted to carry 10,000 kg of bombs, which were rolled out on pallets from the rear ramp, and over 21 night-time bombing raids were flown against Indian forces approaching for the Battles of Chawinda and Pul Kanjari. Support missions for troops in the Northern Areas were continued after the war.[ citation needed ]

With the unstable political situation at the end of 1970 and the resulting civil unrest, the Antelopes moved a large number of troops to East Pakistan and assisted in flood relief operations there. India stopped the PAF flying over its territory in 1971, and the squadron had to fly to East Pakistan via Sri Lanka. Two of the unit's C-130 transports were deployed to Dhaka from March 71 until the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War began on 3 December 1971. They were used to evacuate soldiers and civilians from hostile areas of East Pakistan – in one sortie a single C-130 evacuated 365 people from Sylhet to Dhaka. During the 1971 war, No. 6 Squadron flew bombing missions from West Pakistan in the same manner as those flown during the 1961 war, and no transport aircraft were lost during these sorties

No. 12 Composite Squadron in September 1953, the Squadron Consists of PAF's Elite Air Crafts amongst which includes Phenom 100 and Gulf Stream IV.

No. 10 Squadron was established as the Tanker Transport (MRTT) Squadron ("Bulls") with delivery of the PAF's first Il-78 in December 2009 and operating from PAF Base Chaklala.

41 Squadron PAF, which consists of Cessna, Beech, and Y-12 amongst other aircraft.

Location

The base has surrounding facilities including the Frontier Works Organization Headquarters, Chaklala Railway Station and the Joint Services Headquarters (JSHQ). Two housing schemes Askaris VIII and IX are also located alongside Nur Khan road that extends to the main entrance of the base from Airport Road. The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies, a research think tank founded by the Pakistan Air Force, is located next to Nur Khan Base.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Air Force</span> Aerial service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces

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 2021, as per the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the PAF has more than 70,000 active-duty personnel and operates at least 1370+ aircraft.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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nur Khan</span> Pakistan Air Force C-in-C 1965-1969

Malik Nur Khan Awan was a Pakistan Air Force Officer, politician and statesman who served as sixth commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Air Force from 1965 to 1969. He later served as the sixth governor of West Pakistan from 1969 to 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Risalpur</span> City in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 18 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and Kalpani rivers, respectively. The famous Khyber Pass lies 90 kilometers to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asghar Khan</span> Pakistani politician and an autobiographer

Air Marshal Muhammad Asghar Khan (Retd.), was a Pakistani politician and an autobiographer, later a dissident serving the cause of pacifism, peace, and human rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PAF Base Samungli</span> Air Base in Balochistan province of Pakistan

Pakistan Air Force Base, Samungli is a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) airbase located near Quetta, in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Originally used as a forward operating location during exercises and wartime, it was converted into a main operating base during the 1970s. Samungli currently houses one PAF squadron flying the CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft.

PAF Base Kohat is an airbase of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) located in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. While it currently serves as a training base for PAF airmen, the facility was also used as a major operational base of the Royal Air Force during British colonial rule.

East Pakistan Air Operations covers the activity of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Army Aviation units in former East Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The operations involved the interdiction, air defense, ground support, and logistics missions flown by the Bangladesh Air Force, Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy Aviation wing in support of the Mukti Bahini and later Indian Army in Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8-Pass Charlie</span> Pakistani bomber pilot

Najeeb Ahmad Khan, commonly known as 8-Pass Charlie, was a Pakistani bomber pilot who raided the Adampur Airbase in India a number of times during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, notably starting a series of airstrikes on the base by a solo raid.

Operation Chengiz Khan was the code name assigned to the preemptive strikes carried out by the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) on the forward airbases and radar installations of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the evening of 3 December 1971, and marked the formal initiation of hostilities of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The operation targeted 11 of India's airfields and also included artillery strikes on Indian positions in Kashmir. The targets were the Indian Airbases of Amritsar, Ambala, Agra, Awantipur, Bikaner, Halwara, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Pathankot, Bhuj, Srinagar and Uttarlai and air defence radars at Amritsar and Faridkot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zulfiqar Ali Khan</span> Pakistan Air Force officer and diplomat 1930-2005

Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali KhanNI(M), was the first four-star air officer in the Pakistan Air Force and later a diplomat. He was the Air Force's Chief of Air Staff from 15 April 1974 to 22 July 1978. Upon retirement, he served on a diplomatic assignment, and headed the diplomatic mission to the United States as Pakistan's ambassador from 1989 to 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zafar Masud</span> Pakistani fighter pilot (1927–2003)

Air Commodore Muhammad Zafar Masud also known as Mitty Masud, was a one star air officer in the Pakistan Air Force and a military strategist who was known for his role as air officer commanding of the Dacca airbase in East Pakistan.

No. 6 Squadron, nicknamed the Antelopes, is a transport squadron of the Pakistan Air Force. It is the PAF's oldest squadron which is currently based at Nur Khan Air Base and operates the C-130 & CN-235 transport aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 9 Squadron PAF</span> Military Unit

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 symbolises 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Pakistan Air Force</span>

The history of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) began when it was established in 1947 following the independence of Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 26 Squadron PAF</span> Military unit

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 16 Squadron PAF</span> Military unit

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 Vice Marshal Farooq Umar is a veteran Pakistani fighter pilot.

No. 8 Squadron, nicknamed the Haiders, is a tactical attack squadron from the No. 32 TA Wing of the Pakistan Air Force's Southern Air Command. It is currently deployed at Masroor Airbase and operates the JF-17A Multi-role fighter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rizwan Ullah Khan</span> Pakistan Air Force Commodore (1957–2003)

Air commodore Raja Rizwan Ullah KhanMRAeSM-PECSbt was a one-star rank officer in the Pakistan Air Force, author, and aeronautical engineer who held the position of Personal Staff Officer to Chief of Air Staff Mushaf Ali Mir. In the TV series Shahpar, he played the role of the Officer Commanding No. 11 Squadron PAF, mirroring his real-life position at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghani Akbar</span> Pakistani fighter pilot

Squadron Leader Ghani Akbar SJ ,is a retired Pakistani fighter pilot and former officer in the Pakistan Air Force. He is best known for taking part in the devastating blitzkrieg on the Pathankot airbase in India during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, in which he doubled back and initiated a second attack on the airbase against the orders of his commanding officer Sajad Haider. Additionally, his formation destroyed 13 Indian aircraft including nine MiG-21s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Asad Naeem (11 October 2012). "PAF Airbase Chaklala renamed after Nur Khan". Business Recorder (newspaper). Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "PAF Base Chaklaka". GlobalSecurity.org website. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  3. ↑ Pakistan Air Force Bases nuke.fas.org website, Retrieved 5 October 2021
  4. ↑ "CIA drones quit one Pakistan site – but US keeps access to other airbases". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism website. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  5. ↑ Warnes, Alan (July 2010). "On The Edge". Air Forces Monthly (July 2010). United Kingdom: Key Publishing Limited: 56. Retrieved 9 July 2010. Last year saw the delivery of the first Il-78 Midas air-to-air refueller and also the first Russian aircraft into the inventory - hence the R in front of the serial. The newly established 10 Multi Role Tanker Transport Sqn at Chaklala operates the aircraft, which will be joined by a second example.
  6. ↑ "Obituary: National icon Air Marshal M Nur Khan, flies no more". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 16 December 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2021.

33°36′59″N73°05′57″E / 33.6164°N 73.0992°E / 33.6164; 73.0992

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.