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 .
70-689: CCS is a part of the PAF Airpower Centre of Excellence (PAF ACE) under the PAF's Central Air Command (CAC) . Operationally, PAF ACE has the status of a Wing under the CAC, with four fighter squadrons of the CCS under its command. CCS is geared primarily towards the mid-career advanced air combat training of PAF fighter squadron commanders, air defence controllers, and instructors and for the development of advanced air combat tactics. The CCS has its origins in
140-610: A Sukhoi Su-30 MKI , a claim rejected by Indian authorities. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman , who was piloting the MiG-21 Bison, was captured and arrested by the Pakistani military upon being shot down. He was held for two days before being released at the Wagah - Attari border crossing on 1 March. Initially, Pakistani military officials claimed to have had two pilots in custody, one of whom died while undergoing treatment,
210-513: A photo reconnaissance mission. Two PAF F-86F Sabres ( Flt. Lt. M. N. Butt (leader) and Flt. Lt. M. Yunis) of No. 15 Squadron on Air Defence Alert (ADA) were scrambled from PAF Base Peshawar to intercept the IAF aircraft. Butt attempted to bring down the Canberra by firing his Sabre's machine guns, but the Canberra was flying at an altitude of more than 50,000 feet—beyond the operational ceiling of
280-536: A "qualitative advantage". This statement has been refuted by some officials in Pakistan, who say that the IAF's MiG-21 , Hawker Hunter and Folland Gnat aircraft had better performance than the PAF's F-86 fighters, without accounting for the obvious quantitative advantage that the IAF possessed. According to retired PAF Air Commodore Sajad Haider , the F-86 Sabre was inferior in terms of both power and speed to
350-613: A 3 month Weapons Course (WC), and a 4–5 week Fighter Integration Course (FIC). The courses are reputed to be very tough and not all CCS students pass. Successful graduates can go on to attain the rank of Wing Commander and command a squadron. Dissimilar air combat training (DACT) at the CCS is renowned "throughout the world" for giving complete freedom and responsibility to participating pilots for forming and executing their mission plans. Combat missions are regularly flown at tree-top height and pilots are also responsible for their own post-flight learning. Foreign Chiefs of Air Staff visiting
420-685: A base and that they had support from within the Taliban. These airstrikes mark the second instance of attack by Pakistan on the sovereign soil of Afghanistan in a period less than two years. The first similar Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan soil came in 2022. The PAF has 27 airbases of which 19 are flying bases and 8 are non-flying bases. Flying bases are operational bases from which aircraft operate during both peacetime and wartime; whereas non-flying bases conduct either training, administration, maintenance, air defence operations, or mission support. The Pakistan Air Force's Special Services Wing (SSW)
490-479: A claim that has widely been accepted by most international sources as "a stretch". The IAF ran a larger offensive air campaign by devoting 40% of its air effort to offensive air support alone. The two countries have made contradictory claims of combat losses during the war and few neutral sources have verified the claims of either country, as is the case with most India-Pakistan conflicts. The PAF claims that it shot down 104 IAF aircraft and lost 19 of its own, while
560-573: A claim which was later changed to having only Abhinandan in custody. This was taken to be evidence of a Pakistani pilot being shot down by some Indian sources. US count of PAF's F-16 fleet and various international military observers, refused to buy Indian claim of shooting down PAF's F-16. At least 47 people were killed and 22 injured in two airstrikes by Pakistani forces along the border with Afghanistan on 16 April 2022. The Taliban summoned Pakistan's ambassador in Kabul and registered their protest against
630-488: A high-value target (HVT) commander. Another commander, Abdullah Mehsud, was claimed to have been killed, but later released a video refuting the claim. It was also reported that Mehsud's house was targeted in which his wife and a minor son was killed. Pakistan went on to blame the Pakistani Taliban and its splinter militias for the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani civilians, and claimed that they used Afghanistan as
700-557: A new high-tech combat aircraft, between late 1990 and 1993 the PAF evaluated the European Panavia Tornado MRCA (multi-role combat aircraft), and ultimately rejected it. France's Dassault Mirage 2000E and an offer from Poland for the supply of MiG-29s and Su-27s were also considered, but no deal materialized. In 1992, the PAF once again looked towards the French Mirage 2000, reviving a proposal from
770-683: A retaliatory attack on India's nuclear research facilities in Trombay in the event of an Indian attack on Kahuta. It was decided the most suitable aircraft would be the F-16 Fighting Falcon , which the United States eventually agreed to supply after the PAF refused to purchase the F-5 . In 1983, when the first batch of F-16s reached Pakistan, ACM Shamim informed Zia of the PAF's increasing capability to effectively respond to an attack on
SECTION 10
#1732772134279840-737: A rifle factory in Gurwek with the material support provided by the government of Afghanistan . In 1953–1954, the PAF's No. 14 Squadron led an operation from Miranshah airbase and heavily bombarded the Faqir of Ipi 's compound in Gurwek which ultimately forced Faqir to detach from an armed campaign against Pakistan. On 10 April 1959, on the occasion of the Eid ul-Fitr festival holiday in Pakistan , an Indian Air Force (IAF) English Electric Canberra B(I)58 of No. 106 Squadron entered Pakistani airspace on
910-400: A similar Iranian missile strike inside Pakistani territory . According to Iran, nine foreign nationals were killed in the attack. Baloch Liberation Army , one of the group targeted in the strikes, said that the strikes had targeted and killed its people. It was first strike on Iranian soil by any foreign power since the time of end of Iran–Iraq War in 1988. On 18 March 2024, in response to
980-455: A standoff between India and Pakistan had begun, Pakistan claimed to have struck six targets near Indian military installations inside Indian Controlled Kashmir, which hit open spaces through a codenamed "Operation Swift Retort". Indian Air Force jets were scrambled to intercept the PAF jets inside Jammu and Kashmir. Following the interception, a fierce dogfight ensued and Pakistani aircraft shot down an Indian MiG-21 . Ten minutes before
1050-728: Is an airpower and air warfare research, planning, and development facility of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) based at PAF Base Mushaf , Sargodha , Pakistan . Operationally, PAF ACE has the status of a Wing under the PAF's Central Air Command (CAC) , with four fighter squadrons of the PAF's Combat Commanders' School (CCS) under its command. PAF ACE is geared primarily towards the research, planning, and development of airpower and air warfare doctrines and strategies and linking airpower research and air combat doctrines and strategies with air combat operations to orchestrate effective military air campaigns. Earth-breaking of PAF ACE
1120-651: 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 35,000 active-duty personnel. PAF stands as
1190-807: Is the branch's elite special operations fighting force. Originally coming into existence following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , the SSW is heavily modelled off of the United States Air Force 's Special Tactics Squadrons with some elements inspired by the United States Army Rangers . The unit remained active but saw little prioritization by the Pakistani military until after the Kargil War . In late 1999,
1260-679: The 2008 Mumbai attacks , the Pakistan Air Force was put on high alert in anticipation of any potential Indian accusations and offensives. It deployed to all its wartime locations and started routine combat air patrols. The speed and intensity of the deployment and PAF's readiness took the Indian Army High Command by surprise and later reports suggest that was the main factor to influence the Indians' decision of not going for cross border raids inside Pakistan. The PAF
1330-614: The Abbottabad area until early morning and later returned to their air bases. However, the fact that so many non-stealth aircraft had entered Pakistani airspace, stayed for three hours to carry out a major operation, and that PAF jets only arrived at the location 24 minutes after the American helicopters had left made a senior PAF official term it "one of the most embarrassing incidents in Pakistan's history". The Pakistan Army faced several problems during its 2009 offensive against
1400-543: The Bangladesh Liberation War between West Pakistan and East Pakistan (later joined by India). On 22 November 1971, 10 days before the start of a full-scale war, four PAF F-86 Sabre jets attacked Indian and Mukti Bahini positions at Garibpur , near the international border. Two of the four PAF Sabres were shot down and one damaged by the IAF's Gnats. On 3 December, India formally declared war against Pakistan following massive preemptive strikes by
1470-478: The Pressler amendment was passed, the United States placed sanctions and an arms embargo on Pakistan starting on 6 October 1990 due to the continuance of the country's nuclear weapons research programme. All eleven Peace Gate III F-16s, along with seven F-16A and ten F-16B of the 60 Peace Gate IV F-16s, which had been built by the end of 1994 were embargoed and put into storage on U.S. soil. Desperate for
SECTION 20
#17327721342791540-735: The Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir , India accused involvement of Pakistani hands in this incident. In response, India carried out airstrikes in the vicinity of the town of Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, several miles inside the province's boundary with Pakistan-administered Kashmir . Pakistan's military claimed that the Indian planes dropped their payload in an uninhabited wooded hilltop area near Balakot after being intercepted by PAF fighter jets. On 27 February 2019, when
1610-658: The Soviet Air Force in support of the Afghan Air Force during the course of the conflict; one of which belonged to Alexander Rutskoy . A letter of agreement for up to 28 F-16A and 12 F-16B was signed in December 1981. The contracts, Peace Gate I and Peace Gate II were for 6 and 34 Block 15 models respectively, which would be powered by the F100-PW-200 engine. The first Peace Gate I aircraft
1680-536: The Vayu Sena gallantry medal. India stated that it had only lost a single aircraft (a MiG-21) while claiming to have shot down a Pakistani F-16. Pakistan rejected India's statement, stating that no F-16s were deployed. India also accepted loss of its Mi-17 helicopter in a friendly fire terming it as "a big mistake". Pakistan would later go on to accept that F-16s had been used, but maintained that none of them were shot down. Pakistan also claimed to have shot down
1750-487: The international border . Although the Royal Afghan Air Force had seven MiG-17 squadrons and another MiG-21 squadron being operationalized, no known dogfight has been recorded between the two sides. The PAF fleet at the time consisted of 12 F-104 Starfighters , some 120 F-86 Sabres and around 20 B-57 Canberra bombers . The PAF claims to have had complete air superiority over the battle area from
1820-410: The 27 February airstrikes, an IAF Mi-17 helicopter was shot down by an Indian Spyder missile , having been mistaken for a PAF drone. This resulted in total loss of the aircraft and death of all on board: two pilots (squadron leaders Siddarth Vashista and Ninad Mandavgane), flight engineer Vishal Kumar Pandey, sergeant Vikrant Sehrawat, and corporals Deepak Pandey and Pankaj Kumars, and one civilian on
1890-686: The F-86F. When Yunis took over from his leader, the Canberra suddenly lost height while executing a turn over Rawalpindi . Yunis fired a burst that struck the Canberra at an altitude of 47,500 feet and brought it down over Rawat , marking the first direct aerial victory of the PAF. Both crew members of the IAF Canberra ejected and were captured by Pakistani authorities. They were subsequently released after remaining in detention for some time. Between 1960 and 1961, Royal Afghan Army troops along with thousands of Pashtun tribesmen from Afghanistan crossed
1960-740: The Faqir's rebellion, Pakistan Air Force in June 1949 inadvertently bombed the Afghan village of Mughalgai on the Waziristan border with Afghanistan while chasing the Pashtunistan separatists who attacked Pakistani border posts from Afghanistan, this attack came to known as Mughalgai raid which left 23 separatists dead and further fuelled Afghan support for Pashtunistan. Faqir established Gurwek as headquarters for his activities. Faqir also established
2030-443: The IAF claimed it shot down 73 PAF aircraft while losing 60 of its own. According to most independent and neutral sources, the PAF lost some 20 aircraft while the IAF lost somewhere between 60 and 75. Despite the intense fighting throughout the course of the war, the conflict was effectively a stalemate and inconclusive in its result. By late 1971, the intensification of the independence movement in erstwhile East Pakistan led to
2100-495: The IAF's Hawker Hunter . Air Commodore Sajad Haider , who flew with No. 19 squadron also stated that the F-104 Starfighter did not deserve its reputation as "the pride of the PAF" because it "was unsuited to the tactical environment of the region. It was a high-level interceptor designed to neutralise Soviet strategic bombers in altitudes above 40,000 feet." Nevertheless, the IAF is believed to have feared facing
2170-721: The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and later helped establish the Combat Commanders School (CCS). Wing Commander Melvin Leslie Middlecoat was the Commanding Officer of No. 9 Squadron during the 1965 war, he and Squadron Leader Peter Christy fought and were KIA in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 . Patrick Desmond Callaghan was another Christian officer who rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal. Wing Commander Ronald Felix has been
Combat Commanders' School - Misplaced Pages Continue
2240-479: The PAF against IAF installations in Srinagar , Ambala , Sirsa , Halwara and Jodhpur . However, the IAF did not suffer any significant losses because the leadership had anticipated such a move and consequently, precautions were taken. The IAF was quick to respond to Pakistani airstrikes, following which the PAF carried out mostly defensive sorties. Hostilities officially ended at 14:30 GMT on 17 December, after
2310-548: The PAF decided to establish an institution that would not only revive the FLS but surpass it. Consequently, the CCS was established on 5 May 1976 at PAF Base Sargodha with Wing Commander Hakimullah (later Air Chief Marshal) as its first commanding officer. It was inaugurated officially by Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan on 15 August 1977. At its inception, the CCS was equipped with two fighter squadrons comprising Mirage III and F-6 fighters. On 16 July 1988, an F-16 squadron
2380-483: The PAF's Flight Leaders' School (FLS) established at PAF Base Masroor at Karachi in April 1958 under the PAF's first Pakistani Commander-in-Chief, Air Marshal Asghar Khan , with Wing Commander M.Z. Masud (later Air Commodore) as the FLS's first commanding officer. After the 1965 India-Pakistan War, the FLS underwent periodic closures due to various constraints and faded from the scene in the early 1970s. In late 1974,
2450-441: The PAF's current state, "Indian aircraft could reach the area in three minutes whereas the PAF would take eight minutes, allowing the Indians to attack the facility and return before the PAF could defend or retaliate". Because Kahuta was close to the Indian border, a consensus was reached acknowledging that the best way to deter a possible Indian attack would be to procure new advanced fighters and weaponry. These could be used to mount
2520-446: The PAF's joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. A C-130 transport aircraft was indigenously modified for day/night ISR operations. Use of laser-guided bombs was increased to 80% of munitions used, as compared to 40% in the previous 1960s Bajaur campaign . A small corps of ground spotters were trained and used by the PAF, in addition to Pakistan Army spotters, to identify high-value targets. Prior to
2590-519: The Pakistan Army's offensive into South Waziristan , the PAF attacked militant infrastructure with 500 lb and 2000 lb bombs. A number of civilian casualties occurred during PAF airstrikes on 10 April 2010 in the FATA tribal region . According to sources from the Pakistani military, the first bombing was targeted at a gathering of militants in a compound. Locals who had quickly moved onto
2660-555: The SSW was largely revived and restructured for active service and is currently fielding around 1,200 troops. Since its inception, religious minorities have been free to pursue careers within the Pakistan Armed Forces, with the exception of Hindus until 2001. Following its involvement in the global U.S. -led War on Terror , Pakistan released the Hindu minority in the country from the discriminatory law and granted them
2730-610: The Starfighter in combat despite its lack of effectiveness in comparison to the IAF's fleet of Folland Gnats . According to Indian sources, the F-86F performed reasonably well against the IAF's Hunters but not as well against the Gnat, which was nicknamed the Sabre Slayer by the IAF. Per India , most of the aircraft losses of the IAF were allegedly on the ground while the PAF suffered most of their losses in aerial combat,
2800-480: The Taliban in North-West Pakistan . Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis vacated the area when the offensive was announced and, eventually, over two million had to be accommodated in refugee camps . The offensive was to be completed as quickly as possible to allow the refugees to return to their homes but the army's fleet attack helicopters were insufficient to provide adequate support to infantry on
2870-479: The area tasked with finding the exact number of civilian casualties reported that 61 civilians were killed and 21 were wounded. This was not confirmed by government figures but Pakistan's then-Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Kayani , gave a public apology on 17 April. It is reported that BBC News and several other media correspondences were not allowed to take interviews from the injured. Following
Combat Commanders' School - Misplaced Pages Continue
2940-604: The attack from Afghanistan, Pakistan Air Force carried out two intelligence based airstrikes on Afghanistan's eastern border provinces of Khost and Paktika . The Afghan government claim that Pakistan killed five women and three children. Pakistan denies this, claiming that it killed terrorists instead while targeting the Hafiz Gul Bahadur militant group, a splinter organization of the Pakistani Taliban , and that it had successfully killed Sehra alias Janan,
3010-553: The base have been "most impressed" and "showed surprise at the freedom allotted to the student DACT pilots." CCS staff pay annual visits to all PAF fighter squadrons to evaluate and enhance combat capabilities and ensure standards. In June 1990, the Squadron Combat Upgradation Programme (SCUP) was initiated and four-month-long cycles were conducted by October 1990, each involving two fighter squadrons, F-16 pilots and ground controllers. In 1992, SCUP
3080-434: The capacity of air forces to effectively utilize their intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and precision-strike assets and capabilities in an effective manner. PAF ACE is also open to air forces from countries deemed friendly to Pakistan. Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force ( PAF ) ( Urdu : پاک فِضائیہ , romanized : Pāk Fìzāʾiyah ; pronounced [pɑːk fɪzɑːɪjəɦ] )
3150-539: The early 1980s to procure around 20–40 aircraft, but a sale did not occur because France did not want to sell a fully capable version due to pressure from the United States. In August 1994, the PAF was offered the Saab JAS-39 Gripen by Sweden , but the sale did not occur because 20% of the Gripen's components were sourced from the U.S., which was still maintaining sanctions on Pakistan. In mid-1992, Pakistan
3220-457: 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
3290-579: The extremely porous Pakistan–Afghanistan border and entered the semi-autonomous Bajaur Agency of Pakistan in an effort to annex the region. The Pakistan Air Force sent F-86 Sabre jets in order to support the Pakistani Forces and local Pashtun tribesmen of Pakistan who were fighting the Afghan infiltrators. The F-86 Sabre jets also executed bombing runs on Royal Afghan Army positions in Kunar , Afghanistan, thus leading Afghan forces to fall back to
3360-660: The fall of Dacca on 15 December. The PAF flew about 2,840 sorties and destroyed 71 IAF aircraft while losing 43 of its own. In 1979, the PAF's Chief of the Air Staff , Air Chief Marshal Anwar Shamim , was told by then- President and Chief of the Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq , that Pakistan had reliable intelligence on Indian plans to attack and destroy Pakistan's nuclear research facilities in Kahuta . ACM Shamim told General Zia-ul-Haq that, in
3430-594: The ground (Kifayat Hussain Gani). In April 2023 IAF court martialled Group Captain Sumon Roy Chaudhry, second in command of Srinagar Air Force Station at the time of the PAF strikes for negligence, and he was to be dismissed, however the dismissal was ruled ultra vires by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana , who set a date of 12 September 2023 for their hearing The pilots were posthumously awarded
3500-658: The ground as they were scattered throughout the British India to be given and collected later on. Of these very few were in flyable condition so that they could be used. Subsequently, it also got eight C-47 Dakota cargo planes which it used to transport supplies to soldiers fighting in the 1947 War in Kashmir against India. First two H.P.57 Halifax bombers were delivered in 1948 and were used during 1947 War for night-time supply drop missions at Skardu and other northern areas of Pakistan. All received against allotted at
3570-454: The ground. The PAF was sent into action against the Taliban to make up for the lack of helicopter gunships. Because the PAF was trained and equipped to fight a conventional war , a new "counter-terrorist doctrine" had to be improvised. The PAF's Saffron Bandit exercise focused on extensive training of combat personnel to undertake COIN operations. New equipment was inducted to improve
SECTION 50
#17327721342793640-571: The military airstrikes inside Afghanistan. These airstrikes mark the first known instance of a foreign country launching attack on Afghan soil since the establishment of Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan. At least 9 people were killed when Pakistan Air Force conducted retaliatory strikes, codenamed as Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar on seven targets within Iranian Sistan-Balochistan province . The attack came two days after
3710-408: The more urgent need for imparting training to commanding officers, who would, in turn, impart training to junior officers. As of February 2023, the CCS has conducted 57 CCCs. Pilots are normally selected to undergo rigorous training at the CCS after around 9 to 12 years of service with the PAF. Once selected by Air Headquarters, they undergo three courses: a 4–5 month Combat Commanders' Course (CCC),
3780-462: The newer and more advanced F-7PGs/FT-7PGs, was transferred to CCS from 31 AS Wing (Western Air Command), PAF Base Samungli (Quetta) to serve as the new CCS F-7PG Squadron. The CCS has the following mission: The CCS conducts Combat Commanders' Courses (CCCs) for combat pilots and combat controllers. Previously, Fighter Weapon Instructors' Courses (FWICs) were also conducted for junior leaders. Subsequently, however, FWICs were discontinued to accommodate
3850-610: The nuclear research facilities at Kahuta. Due to rising tensions with the Soviet Union due to its invasion of Afghanistan , Pakistan's ISI systematically coordinated with the CIA , MI6 and Mossad to secure American resources and armaments for the Afghan mujahideen who were combating the invading Soviet forces . Various reports during this period widely indicated that the PAF had in fact covertly engaged in aerial combat against
3920-681: 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 . The Royal Pakistan Air Force (RPAF)
3990-435: The remaining five intruders (two Su-22s, two MiG-23s , and one Su-25 ). Most of these kills were by the AIM-9 Sidewinder , but at least one (a Su-22) was destroyed by cannon fire. Pakistani Flight Lieutenant Khalid Mahmoud is credited with three of these kills. The PAF is believed to have evaluated the French Dassault Mirage 2000 in early 1981 and was planning to evaluate the F-16 Fighting Falcon afterwards. After
4060-420: The same freedoms that were already present for their Christian , Sikh and other various counterparts . Some notable religious minority figures in the Pakistan Air Force include: Air Vice Marshal Eric Gordon Hall , a Christian who served as the Base Commander of Chaklala Air Base during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Air Commodore Nazir Latif and Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry (both Christians) fought in
4130-400: The scene of the first airstrike to recover the dead and wounded were then killed by a second airstrike. While there is no confirmed death toll, it is widely believed that at least 30 civilian deaths had occurred according to the military approximations, whereas a local official stated that at least 73 locals, including women and children, were killed. A six-member committee of tribal elders from
4200-403: The second day of operations. However, IAF Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh claimed that, despite having been qualitatively inferior to the PAF, the IAF allegedly achieved total air superiority in three days. Many publications have credited the PAF's successes in combat with the IAF to its U.S. -quality equipment, claiming it to be superior to the aircraft operated by the IAF and giving the PAF
4270-478: The time of independence of Pakistan from British India. It started with seven airbases scattered all over the provinces. After the partition of British India , Faqir of Ipi, a pashtun separatist leader rejected the creation of newly created Pakistan. In 1948, the Faqir of Ipi took control of North Waziristan 's Datta Khel area and declared the establishment of an independent Pashtunistan , with support from neighbouring Kingdom of Afghanistan . In response to
SECTION 60
#17327721342794340-652: Was accepted at Fort Worth in October 1982. Two F-16A and four F-16B were subsequently delivered to Pakistan in 1983, with the first F-16 arriving at PAF Base Sargodha (now known as PAF Base Mushaf) on 15 January 1983 flown by Squadron Leader Shahid Javed. The 34 remaining aircraft as part of Peace Gate II were delivered between 1983 and 1987. Between May 1986 and November 1988, the PAF's newly acquired F-16s had shot down at least eight intruding aircraft from Afghanistan . The first three of these (one Su-22 , one probable Su-22, and one An-26 ) were shot down by two pilots from No. 9 Squadron. Pilots of No. 14 Squadron destroyed
4410-406: Was added. In 1993, the F-6 squadron was re-equipped with F-7Ps . On 26 January 2015, a fourth squadron equipped with JF-17s was raised. In 2016, CCS was made a part of the newly-formed PAF ACE under the CAC. In 2021, the CCS F-7P Squadron was decommissioned after the retirement of all F-7Ps/FT-7Ps from PAF service. In February 2023, No. 23 Air Superiority (AS) Squadron 'Talons', equipped with
4480-461: Was close to signing a contract for the supply of 40 Dassault Mirage 2000s, equipped with Thomson-CSF RDM/7 radars from France, although U.S. sanctions also prevented this deal from finalizing. In mid-1994, it was reported that Russian manufacturers Sukhoi and Mikoyan were offering the Su-27 and MiG-29, but Pakistan was reported to be negotiating for supply of the Mirage 2000–5. French and Russian teams visited Pakistan on 27 November 1994 and it
4550-403: Was done at PAF Base Mushaf on 22 February 2016. In 2016, the PAF's Combat Commanders' School (CCS) was placed under the operational command of PAF ACE. PAF ACE is tasked with the research, planning, and development of airpower and air warfare doctrines and strategies, and towards building a country's capacity to undertake effective air warfare operations. Specifically, PAF ACE aims to build
4620-404: Was established on 15 August 1947 with the independence of Pakistan from British India. The RPAF began with a paper share allotment of 2,332 personnel, a fleet of 24 Tempest II fighter-bombers, 16 Hawker Typhoon fighters, two H.P.57 Halifax bombers, two Auster aircraft, twelve North American Harvard trainers and ten de Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes . Very few were available to the RPAF on
4690-413: Was identified as a US AWACS and the remaining five were recognized as F/A-18 jets of the US. These planes flew near the Pakistani border, but did not cross into the airspace of Pakistan," On the detection of an intrusion, PAF jets on air defence alert were scrambled and the PAF immediately took adequate operational measures as per standard operating procedure. The PAF aircraft continued their presence in
4760-522: Was issued a standing order to launch an immediate counter-attack in case of an air attack from India, after a call from the Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee to the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (the call later turned out to be a hoax). An initial investigation report revealed that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) reported the movement of some half-a-dozen planes near the Jalalabad border at 23:00 before American helicopters entered Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden . "One aircraft
4830-442: Was replaced with the regular Exercise Saffron Bandit , which is a more demanding and complicated near-realistic environment for participating fighter pilots and air defence controllers. Exercise Saffron Bandit is still supervised and its syllabus constantly improved by the CCS. The CCS has three active fighter squadrons under its command: PAF Airpower Centre of Excellence The PAF Airpower Centre of Excellence or PAF ACE
4900-428: Was speculated that the interest in Russian aircraft was to pressure France into reducing the price of the Mirage 2000. The stated requirement was for up to 40 aircraft. The Pakistan Air Force is believed to have had a primary role in the alleged evacuation of Taliban personnel by the Pakistani military from Afghanistan . However, Pakistani and American officials have denied any such airlift taking place. After
#278721