Operation Sindoor – Need to Look at PAF Operational Airbases

Reacting to India’s Operation Sindoor, Pakistan hit civilian and military targets in India. They launched “Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos”, meaning ‘wall of lead’ in Arabic. Pakistan attacked a large number of Indian airfields at Srinagar, Udhampur, Jammu, Pathankot, Adampur, and down the line at Jaisalmer, Bhuj, and Naliya, among others. Pakistan used drones and cruise missiles. All Indian airbases were reportedly absolutely safe and fully operational. In response, India hit the radar and the HQ-9 Air Defence System near Lahore. Also, India reportedly attacked Nur Khan Airbase at Chaklala near Rawalpindi, which is not too far from the capital, Islamabad. India hit the Murid Airbase near Chakwal, south of Islamabad, and opposite Jammu. The third airbase attacked was the major fighter airbase “Rafiqui” at Shorkot. Other targets were Rahim Yar Khan, Chunian, and Sukkur, as well as radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation bases. India used air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM). India’s targets were Technical complexes, Command and Control Centres, radars, and Weapon Storage areas. It is interesting to know more about PAF airbases.

PAF Operational Structure

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had organized its commands into the Northern Air Command (NAC), Peshawar; Central Air Command (CAC), Sargodha; Southern Air Command (SAC), Karachi; Western Air Command (WAC), Quetta; Air Defence Command (ADC), Rawalpindi; Air Force Strategic Command (AFSC), Islamabad; PAF Cyber Command (PAFCC), Islamabad; and PAF Space Command (PAFSC), Islamabad. Pakistan maintained the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra, which is west of Islamabad, halfway to Peshawar. They also operated the Air Weapons Complex (AWC), Wah Cantonment, near Taxila, west of Islamabad.

The PAF operated 27 airbases, of which 19 were flying bases, and 8 were non-flying bases. Flying bases served as operational bases from which aircraft operated during both peacetime and wartime, whereas non-flying bases conducted either training, administration, maintenance, air defence operations, or mission support. PAF airbases were located at Mushaf (Sargodha); Bholari (Jamshoro District, Sindh); Masroor (Karachi); Rafiqui (Shorkot); Peshawar (Peshawar); Murid (Chakwal); Samungli (Quetta); M.M. Alam (Mianwali); Minhas (Kamra); Nur Khan (Rawalpindi); Faisal (Karachi); Risalpur (Pakistan Air Force Academy); Shahbaz (Jacobabad); Farid (Rajanpur); Vehari (Vehari); Qadri (Skardu); Sindhri (Mirpur Khas); Talhar (Badin); and Multan (Multan). The non-flying airbase at Lahore housed radars and air defence systems.

PAF’s major operational bases functioned as fully equipped facilities from which aircraft operated during peacetime. They possessed a complete infrastructure of hardened shelters, control towers, workshops, ordnance depots, etc. Forward operational bases remained active during peacetime and became fully operational during wartime. These were the bases on which the planes were dispersed during the war. They were capable of supporting almost all types of missions. They were generally lightly manned during peacetime and were usually activated during exercises or national crises. Satellite bases were used for emergency landing and recovery of aircraft during both peacetime and wartime. They maintained a very small infrastructure and were either lightly manned or unmanned. Ground Installations comprised other training and radar bases that did not have a runway or other landing facilities.

Fighter Squadrons

The PAF maintained 15 dedicated fighter squadrons equipped with F-16 (different variants, with the best being Block 52+), J-10CE, JF-17 (Block I to III), Mirage III, Mirage V, and F-7PG. They also operated Combat Commanders’ School Squadrons with a mix of fighter aircraft at Mushaf airbase at Sargodha as part of their Central Air Command. The airbase also housed the electronic warfare aircraft Falcon 20 and many other assets.

PAF Base Rafiqui

Formerly known as PAF Base Shorkot, the airbase was located near Shorkot in Jhang District of Punjab. It sat around 337 kilometres south of Islamabad. The base was served by two parallel runways, both longer than 9,500 feet. The base was renamed in honour of Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui, a decorated fighter pilot who led raids into enemy territory during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. In the 1965 war, the IAF hit Pakistan’s most protected base and destroyed 10 aircraft. It was designated as the No. 34 (Tactical Attack) Wing under Central Air Command. Essentially a Mirage base, it housed two squadrons of Mirage III and one of Mirage V. It also maintained a JF-17 squadron. [Alouette III helicopter assets were deployed there for Search and Rescue.

Rafiqui operated the No. 485 Mission Control Centre as part of the Central Air Defence Sector of Pakistan. It held the No. 414 (Radar) Squadron equipped with the Chinese YLC-18 radar. This was a three-dimensional main guidance and surveillance radar. Equipped with a new Giga-flops digital signal processor, it was designed to utilize Digital Moving Target Indication (DMTI) and Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) processing. An S-band variation with similar capabilities was also developed for SAM guidance. These systems were specifically designed to counter stealth fighters such as the F-22, with a claimed range of up to 200 kilometres even in a heavy ECM environment. The ground reality was that they failed to detect the incoming Indian attack. The only other users of this radar were Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The exact SAM system layout at the airbase remained unknown. Pakistan deployed the Crotale (15 km), SPADA-2000 (40 km), HQ-16FE (40 km), HQ-9 (120 km), and various MANPADS.

On 10th May 2025, Rafiqui airbase was bombed by the Indian Air Force at around 2 AM, and all these defensive assets could not prevent the attack.

Murid Airbase

This was a PAF Base located at Murid, Chakwal, in Punjab. Operating as the No. 42 Flying Wing, it came under Northern Air Command. It featured an 11,000 ft asphalt runway. No permanent active unit was stationed at this base. Murid held the No. 411 Squadron with an inactive YLC-2 surveillance radar. It housed the main UCAV and UAV fleet of the PAF. The various UAV and UCAV squadrons at Murid included two Shahpar-1 UAVs and two Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs. Eight hangars had been constructed to house various kinds of combat drones, while three more were under construction. The Murid base was amongst the primary bases that were struck by the IAF during the midnight hours of 10th May.

PAF Base Nur Khan, Chaklala

The Nur Khan airbase was located at Chaklala, Rawalpindi, Punjab. The former Benazir Bhutto International Airport (now defunct) formed part of this airbase. The base was controlled centrally by the Federal Air Command. Designated as the 35th Air Mobility Wing, it acted as the PAF’s primary transport hub, with a fleet of various transport aircraft operating from it. It featured a 3,291-metre (10,797 ft) runway alongside a disused old cross-runway. During the Pakistan Earthquake of 2005, 300 troops of the United States, as well as U.S. aircraft,t were deployed to Chaklala to aid in relief efforts. The U.S. reportedly maintained a permanent military presence at Chaklala from late 2001 to handle logistics efforts and other movements in relation to the War in Afghanistan. In 2009, the PAF’s first of four Il-78 aerial refuelling tanker aircraft were delivered to PAF Base Chakla, and the No. 10 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) squadron was established there. The name of the facility was changed in 2012 from PAF Base Chaklala to PAF Base Nur Khan in remembrance of its first Base Commander, Air Marshal Nur Khan. Nur Khan was also the second Pakistani Chief of the PAF, and a veteran of several conflicts fought by Pakistan.

The airbase served as home to 6 Squadron “Antelopes” (C-130 Hercules, CN-235 CASA), 10 Squadron “Bulls” (Il-78 Refuellers), 12 Squadron VVIP “Burraqs” (Gulfstream IV & Embraer Phenom 100), and 41 Squadron “Albatross” Air Maintenance Squadron (Cessna, Beechcraft, Y-12). They also operated the No. 130 Air Engineering Depot. The base also housed the Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala, a premier PAF training institution that trained aviation cadets to become future leaders, focusing on character building, leadership, and professional development.

For air defence, the airbase utilized the No. 486 Mission Control Centre, as part of the Northern AD Sector. The base relied on the No. 453 Squadron equipped with SPADA-2000 and HQ-16FE AD systems. On 10th May 2025, the Nur Khan base was bombed by the IAF at around 2 AM, with locals reporting heavy blasts and aircraft passing overhead.

Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur

Rahim Yar Khan maintained the Shaikh Zayed International Airport with a 9,000-foot runway fit for all fighter operations. PAF Base Rahim Yar Khan contained a dedicated military installation. Owing to its location, the base held high strategic value for rapid deployment and military operations across southern and eastern Pakistan. It served as a key forward operating base facing India’s Rajasthan, and reportedly contained weapons storage and AD systems.

Sukkur Airport, also known as Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport, was a domestic airport located in Sukkur, Sindh, Pakistan. It was the second main operational airport in Sindh, after Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. The paved runway spanned about 9,000 feet. It was originally built as a military airbase. During the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, the IAF conducted air strikes targeting the Pakistani city of Sukkur. Specifically, on December 15, 1971, the IAF targeted the entire transport network from Sialkot to Sukkur, including the Sulaimanke Headworks, aiming to disrupt Pakistani military operations. Sukkur operated as a key logistical hub, and the IAF’s air strikes successfully crippled its ability to transport supplies and personnel. Targets at both Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur were hit during the campaign.

Radar Pasrur, Sialkot, and Chunian

Pasrur sat south of Sialkot opposite India’s Gurdaspur. The Garrison was known to contain an active radar site. Sialkot maintained a highly strategic location for military operations against India and featured a massive cantonment with numerous military targets. Chunian was located opposite India’s Ferozepore, containing a significant cantonment with major storage areas clearly visible on satellite maps.

To Summarise

With 70,000 active personnel, the PAF represented a sizeable force, maintaining a large number of main and satellite airbases covering the entire country. Nearly half of its total land border was shared with India. Pakistan suffered from a serious lack of strategic depth; the straight-line distance between Lahore and Kabul measured just 584 km. Balochistan, whiconsidersred itself an independent entity, composed 48 percent of the total land area of Pakistan.

Operation Sindoor continued into Day 5 as Pakistan openly escalated by hitting military targets. India gave a more than proportionate response to penalize Pakistan, the fountainhead of world terror. While the Indian Army managed the escalation across the Line of Control (LC), and the Indian Navy managed the Arabian Sea, the IAF did the heavy “weightlifting” by executing punishing long-range precision strikes to denude Pakistan’s ability to fight.

Header Picture Credit: Representative Image Generated using AI

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