The indian pilots also enjoy a annual budget of 5 times the PAF pilot.
PAKISTAN AIR FORCES SHORTCOMINGS DON'T DETER, BUT BREED DARING
PAF C-130 made history in annals of aircombat in 1965
Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Eric G Hall was awarded Sitara-e-Jurat for conceiving and executing a unique air raid and creating history in the annals of air combat during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. In 1947, Eric G Hall opted for Pakistan and his finest hour came in 1965 when as a Group Captain and commanding the air transport base at Chaklala and with war with India imminent - he being conscious of PAF’s handicap of a lack of heavy bombers set up to fill this gap and came across a unique idea of converting a Pakistan Air Force C-130 transport plane to play the role of ‘Heavy Bomber’. After some modification a C-130 was made capable of carrying up to 20,000 lbs of bombs. After having conducted trials to prove the efficacy of the use of the C-130 transport as a heavy bomber in this hitherto novel and innovative role, Group Captain Eric G Hall himself volunteered to lead the first bombing mission over the Kathua Bridge on 11 September 1965. This was a most daring move and one of the finest examples of a commander leading from the cockpit. The mission was not only fraught with danger but the totally unarmed C-130 was also highly vulnerable to enemy fire. But the success of Group Captain Eric G Hall’s unique mission, he made history in the annals of air combat and this prompted the PAF high command to authorise nearly thirteen more bombing missions with the C-130 that also including the precision bombing of Indian heavy guns at Atari on the banks of the BRB Canal. The success of all these missions proved that Group Captain Eric G Hall of the PAF had hit the bull’s eye with his innovative and unique idea. For his valour and vision and service, Eric G Hall was awarded Sitara-e-Jurat in 1965 – he later rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshall in the Pakistan Air Force.
Today, PAF pilots remain one of the unique breed of combat pilots in the world, having shot down fighter jets belonging to the Air Forces of four countries - Indian, Israeli, USSR, and Afghanistan.
Pakistan Air Force Combat Experience
The Pakistan Air Force has fought more airwars than any other country in South Asia. Starting with two wars with India, Pakistani air force pilots also took part in two Arab-Israeli wars and also against the Afghan and Russian Air Force during the Afghan war. Faced with a good number of combat experiences it’s no wonder that Pakistan Air Force pilots have fared pretty well in notching up multiple kills.
Pakistan Air Force Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmud Alam nicknamed the Little Dragon, emerged from the 1965 Indo-Pak war as Pakistan's top scoring fighter ace. Alam flying his US made F-86 Sabre fighter jet on 7 September 1965 engaged and downed five British made Hunter Hawker fighters of the Indian Air Force establishing a world record which till today (2016) stands unbeaten.
Pakistani pilots shot down 10 Israeli Air force jets
During the so-called ‘Six Day War‘ (1967), Pakistani pilot Saiful Azam flying for the Royal Jordanian Air force on June 5 engaged four Israeli jets over the Jordanian Mafraq air base. He shot down a Mystére commanded by Israeli pilot H. Boleh and damaged another that crash-landed in Israeli territory. Two days later, Jordanian air force commander sent Saiful Azam to help the Iraqi air force. While piloting an Iraqi Hunter Azam shot down two Israeli attacking planes.
In all Pakistani pilots during the so-called ‘Six Day War‘ in 1967, shot down a total of ten Israeli jets without losing a single pilot or aircraft. Saiful Azam, has the unique honor of being the only pilot in the world who has downed four Israeli jets – and served in four airforces; Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq and later Bangladesh. He also holds the world record of shooting-down three types of military aircraft in two different air forces.
During October 1973 Israel’s Yom Kippur war a squadron of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) arrived in Syria to fight alongside the Syrian Air Force and halted the Israeli advance over the Golan Heights. PAF pilots Sattar Alvi and Arif Mansoor, engaged and shot down an Israeli F-4 Phantom over Egyptian airspace, In another dogfight between the PAF and Israeli Air Force over Syrian airspace Pakistani pilots shot down an Israeli Mirage IICJ with air-to-air missiles flown by Israeli pilot M. Lutz. This was enough to convince other Israeli fighter planes to bug out and abort all further incursions into Syria. Other Pakistani pilots who joined the Syrian force as volunteers included future Air Marshal Nur Khan, Salem Metla, Shahbaz Khan, Wisaam Faris and Wisaam Shuja’at. Late President of Syria Hafiz Al Assad awarded two of the pilots’ Syria’s highest decorations for gallantry. All 12 volunteer PAF pilots scored direct hits against Israeli aircrafts and suffered no losses.
During the 1973 war, Flt. Lt. A. Sattar Alvi became the first Pakistani pilot, flying a Syrian aircraft to shoot down an Israeli Mirage in air combat. Similarly on the Egyptian front, PAF pilot Flt. Lt. M. Hatif, flying an Egyptian MiG-21 shot down an Israeli F-4 phantom in air combat while Pakistani Air Force did not lose a single pilot or aircraft in any of these engagements.
10-0 Kill Ratio in Air Combat by PAF in Soviet Afghan War.
On 17 May 1986 Sqn. Ldr. A. Hameed Qadri of No. 9 Squadron, flying his F-16A Fighting Falcon (S. No. 82-723) shot down 2 Soviet/Afghan Su-22s in a single sortie 16,000 ft. over Parachinar, Pakistan with one AIM-9L Sidewinder Kill, and one Gun Kill.
On 30 March 1987 Wng. Cdr. Abdul Razzaq of No. 9 Squadron, flying a PAF F-16A Fighting Falcon from PAF Sargodha shot down one Soviet/Afghan An-26 near Miranshah, Pakistan while on a recce mission.
On 16 April 1987 Sqn. Ldr. Badar Islam of No. 14 Squadron, flying a F-16A Fighting Falcon from PAF Minhas (Kamra) shot down one Soviet/Afghan Su-22 that was strafing Pakistani villages near Tull, Pakistan along with another Su-22 and a pair of MiG-23MLDs flying top cover. The remaining three aircraft bugged out.
On 8 April 1988 Sqn. Ldr. Athar Bokhari of No. 14 Squadron, flying a F-16A Fighting Falcon (S. No. 85-725) from PAF Minhas (Kamra) shot down one Soviet Su-25 flown by Col. Ruskoi Alexander Valadimirovich of the Soviet Air Force with a AIM-9L Sidewinder during a night interception over Parachinar, Pakistan, while three Su-25s accompanying him bugged out. The Soviet Su-25 pilot, Col. Ruskoi Alexander Valadimirovich who ejected and later was Vice-President of Russia was taken prisoner by Pakistani authorities.
Six Soviet MiG-23MLDs Vs two PAF F-16s
On 12 September 1988 Flt. Lt. Khalid Mahmood of No. 14 Squadron, flying a F-16A Fighting Falcon (S. No. 85-728) from PAF Minhas (Kamra) shot down two of six Soviet MiG-23MLDs near Nawagai border area with Pakistan. Both Kills were made during a single sortie with AIM-9L and AIM-9P Sidewinders.
Two PAF F-16s Vs. 6 Soviet/Afghan Su-22s.
On 3 November 1988 Flt. Lt. Khalid Mahmood of No. 14 Squadron, flying a F-16A Fighting Falcon (S. No. 84-717) from PAF Minhas (Kamra) Six Soviet/Afghan Su-22s. (3 on ground attack and 3 flying top cover) near Tull, Pakistan made two kill made with 2 AIM-9L Sidewinders. One Afghan pilot, Capt. Hashim, was captured after bailing out.
On 20/21 November 1988 Muhammad Abbas Khattak of No. 14 Squadron, flying a F-16A Fighting Falcon from PAF Minhas (Kamra) shot down one Soviet An-26 on a recce mission inside Pakistan. Khattak later rose to the rank of Chief of the Air Staff, 1994-1997.
On 31 January 1989 Flt. Lt. Khalid Mahmood of No. 14 Squadron, flying a F-16B Fighting Falcon from PAF Minhas (Kamra) while on a solo 'hot scramble' engaged a Soviet An-24 (night interception) on a bombing run near Bannu, Pakistan, the aircraft crashed while attempting to surrender and Mahmood earned credited for a "manoeuvre kill'.
No PAF jet was shot down the Afghan/Russian air force establishing a 10-0 kill ratio in favor of PAF * During the entire, period of war - only a single PAF F-16 was shot down after mistakenly being hit with a AIM-9L by another PAF F-16. *
MORE than 10 jets were shot down during the war, however REAL numbers of jets shot down by the PAF during the Afghan/Russian war is still "classified". *
PAF is one of the FEW air forces in the world having REAL experience with F-16s in air to air combat and having shot down enemy jets with these.*
One Soviet/Afghan Mig-21 surrendered is now on display at the Karachi Air Museum of the PAF.
Today, PAF pilots remain one of the unique breed of combat pilots in the world, having shot down fighter jets belonging to the Air Forces of four countries - Indian, Israeli, USSR, and Afghanistan.
Source: Pakistan Military Consortium