ghazi52
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No. 1 Squadron |
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No. 1 Squadron |
No. 5 Squadron |
No. 5 RPAF Squadron was formed with 8 Tempest Mk II aircraft on 15 August 1947 at Peshawar under the command of Squadron Leader Zaheer Ahmad; most of its personnel came from No 1 RIAF Squadron. Despite a shortage of technical manpower, the unit ably carried out its assigned task of watch and ward duties from Miranshah during the early period of its history. In December 47, the squadron took part in operation 'Curzon' during which it provided cover to the army which was being pulled out of Razmak. The squadron was visited by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan in January 48. He was accompanied by the RPAF C-in-C, Air Vice Marshal Perry-Keene and Air Commodore M K Janjua. On 11 April 48, the squadron presented a smartly turned out guard of honour to the visiting Governor-General, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah at Peshawar and two days later the squadron pilots participated in a fly past in the honour of the Quaid's visit to Risalpur. In the early-50s the squadron was reequipped with the Hawker Fury which was the best piston-engine fighter-bomber of its time. In June 51 the squadron lost Pilot Officer I A Rafiqui in an air crash near Lahore. He was the elder brother of Squadron Leader Sarfraz A Rafiqui, H.J., who joined the same squadron as a pilot officer on 4 November 53 and later commanded the unit from March 63 onwards. In November 51 Squadron Leader F S Hussain took over as squadron commander and a few months later the squadron won the inter-squadron armament trophy which he received from the C-in-C, Air Vice Marshal L W Cannon, on 12 February 52. On 1 September 65, even before full scale war had started, 5 Squadron had the distinction of shooting down 4 IAF Vampires in the very first air engagement of that day. During the 65 war the squadron flew one hundred and ninety hours in various types of operations. Squadron Leader S A Rafiqui shot down 2 Vampires and 1 Hunter aircraft. He was reported missing at 1800 hours on 6 September 65, and later confirmed as killed in an engagement near an enemy air base. Flight Lieutenant Yunus Hussain, his wingman, also gave his life for the nation in the same action, after having shot down 1 Hunter. Flight Lieutenant Cecil Chaudhry of the same squadron accounted for 2 Hunters and 1 Canberra during the war while Flight Lieutenant A H Malik shot down 1 Mystere. In 1967 the squadron was reequipped with Mirage-III E aircraft and assigned a tactical attack role in which the squadron had become fully operational before the 1971 war with India. During this war it flew over 200 day and night sorties which included counter air, photo recce and interdiction missions as well as air defence. The squadron participated in the first strikes against the IAF bases at Pathankot and Awantipura. It did not sustain a single loss throughout the war. Flight Lieutenant Naeem Atta shot down 1 Canberra aircraft at night and Flight Lieutenant Riaz Sheikh damaged 1 Su-7 aircraft. Wing Commander Hakimullah and Squadron Leader Farooq Omer were awarded the Sitara-e-Juraat. The No. 5 Tactical Attack and Reconnaissance Squadron is the second oldest fighter squadron in the PAF. It is one of the few squadrons that conducts operational mission even during peacetime. It is responsible for trans-frontier photo reconnaissance the year round. The pilots of this illustrious squadron use special reconnaissance pods to photograph the entire eastern border from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. The entire squadron is divided into several parts, and is conducted in close coordination with friendly radars and escorts. The results of reconnaissance flights are disseminated among the Armed Services of Pakistan. The squadron uses four different types of Mirage aircraft. This alone makes it a unique squadron, as it has to face multiple maintenance and operational problems. Despite this, the squadron won the Inter-Squadron Maintenance Efficiency Trophy in 1991, 1992 and 1995. During ISAC-96, the squadron was placed first among all the conventional weapon systems and was judged to be fourth over all. The squadron completed fifty years on existence in 1997. An impressive ceremony was arranged on 25 October 1997, to celebrate this event, and a large number of serving and retired PAF officers were invited to PAF Base Rafiqui. The squadron arranged a historical presentation for the guests during the event, which lasted for two days. The squadron participated actively in all PAF operational exercises. The specialist role of photo reconnaissance keeps the squadron's operations dispersed to multiple locations around the year. Monthly ADA duties and different training cycles further increase the operational responsibilities of this squadron. During peacetime, the squadron fulfilled another kind of assignment by actively participating in the last election and census duties. The No. 5 squadron Falcons take their name from the squadron crest painted on their mirages. A historical gallery has been set up in the squadron headquarters to preserve the past and its glories. The main feature of the gallery include photographs of the pioneers, different trophies won by the squadron, crests, and other photographs of historical significance.
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No. 6 Squadron |
During this period a pattern of operations was established by the squadron for supply dropping in Azad Kashmir. These missions were essential for keeping troops and villages cut off by snowbound roads supplied with the essentials of life. Flying fully loaded Dakotas with an effective ceiling of not much above 10,000 ft, in an environment of peaks ranging from 16,000 to 20,000, No. 6 Squadron could accomplish these missions only by following the sinuous curves of the Indus valley. During November 48 the squadron, operating from Risalpur and Peshawar, air dropped some 88,000 lbs. of supplies. On 4 November 48, a Dakota piloted by Flying Officer Mukhtar Dogar was attacked by 2 IAF Tempests. The pilot skillfully evaded the attackers and brought the Dakota back to base. Flying Officer Dogar was awarded the Sitara-e-Juraat for this act of gallantry. He was the first officer of the squadron to receive a gallantry award. In early 1950, a large number of Bristol Freighters was purchased from the UK and added to the fleet of No. 6 Squadron. Their performance was similar to that of the Dakotas so no new techniques were necessary for the conduct of Northern Area operations. The generous reserve of Bristol Freighters enabled No. 6 Squadron to undertake an extensive range of transport and communication tasks within and outside Pakistan for nearly fifteen years. In 1955, some of the aircraft were adapted to carry a 4,000-lb. 'block buster' bomb beneath each wing and the squadron carried out a limited amount of training for a night bombing role against lightly defended targets. This paved the way for similar operations at a later stage with its C-130s. The squadron acquitted itself creditably during large scale food dropping missions in the 1952 floods; a Sanad to this effect was presented to the unit by the Governor of the Punjab on 17 August 52. From 15 to 30 November 53, operation 'Snow Drop' was carried out to deliver supplies in the Northern Area. Chaklala was used as a forward base and 800,000 lbs. of supplies were dropped in seven hundred and eighty hours of flying. In 1955 the squadron also demonstrated supply dropping during an air display witnessed by the Defence Minister General Muhammad Ayub Khan at Lahore. During its formative years, 6 Squadron gained valuable operational experience on Bristol Freighters in a variety of climatic and geographical environments, ranging from the snowbound peaks of Kashmir to the desert of southern Punjab to the tropical forests of East Pakistan. In 1963, when 4 Lockheed C-130Bs were received under the US aid programme, it enabled the squadron to begin phasing out its Bristol Freighters. The Hercules also allowed the squadron to revise its valley flight procedures by overflying the Karakorams before letting down over the destination air strips and drop zones, with a corresponding improvement in safety margins. During the 1965 war, the PAF offensive against bases included assaults by para commandos, who were dropped at night from 3 C-130Bs near Adampur, Halwara and Pathankot. In another role, the squadron was able to convert its Hercules aircraft into night bombers for raids against battlefield targets with upto 22,000 lbs. of HE bombs, which were rolled out of the rear ramp on pallets. The squadron flew over twenty such missions and dropped bombs on enemy forces moving up for the battles of Chawinda and Pulkanjari. Seven officers were awarded the Sitara-i-Juraat and 2 JCO's the Tamgha-i-Juraat. After the 65 war, 6 Squadron continued its task of logistic support for army units stationed in the Northern Areas and of routine PAF commitments in both wings of Pakistan. The squadron came under tremendous pressure towards the end of 1970 when the political situation in East Pakistan became unstable. The unit efficiently completed the task of moving a large number of troops from West to East Pakistan. In 1970 the squadron also participated in extensive flood relief operations in East Pakistan. When civil war erupted in East Pakistan in March 71, 2 C-130s were permanently deployed at Dhaka; they remained there till the December war broke out. These aircraft took extensive part in evacuation of troops and civilians from hostile areas. Wing Commander Munim A. Khan and his crew lifted a record figure of 365 people from Sylhet to Dhaka in one C-130 sortie. During 1971, the Indian government had stopped PAF flights over India and the squadron's C-130s proceeding to East Pakistan had to route via Sri Lanka, entailing sorties of exhausting length as well as the risk of interception by Indian fighter aircraft. When war broke out on 3 December 71, the squadron undertook tactical bombing raids in West Pakistan in much the same way as it had done in the 65 war. A C-130 captained by Group Captain Mir Alam made a very successful attack against Jaisalmer and inflicted heavy damage upon the IAF's technical complex there. The crew were awarded Sitara-i-Juraat for this action. Successful bombing was also carried out in the Srinagar valley and against battlefield targets. The squadron did not suffer any war loss of life or equipment. The squadron regularly participated in CENTO exercises 'Nejat' and produced good results; the exercises were held at Masroor, Rezayiah (Iran), England and Turkey. Every year the squadron takes PAF Air War College for its educational tours abroad. Since 1971 the college teams have been taken to China, England, Australia, North Korea, Germany, Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Owing to its increased commitments, some additional C-130Es have been provided to the squadron during the last decade. |
No. 7 Squadron |
At its inception in June 1960 under the command of Squadron Leader Ayaz A Khan this squadron was equipped with Martin B-57 light bombers. At that time it had 10 B-57B and 1 B-57C two-seat aircraft. The dual model, appropriately named 'Baba' for the respect it commanded as the senior most transition vehicle of the squadron, is still airworthy and flying regularly, inspite of having one nose gear-up and two belly-landings to its credit! No 7 Light Bomber Squadron was located at PAF base Mauripur and was assigned the role of airfield strikes and deep interdiction missions. Since 1960, the squadron has remained fully prepared to undertake its assigned tasks. Loss of some aircraft during the two India-Pakistan Wars as well as in occasional accidents, coupled with the increasing problem of spare support eventually reduced the aircraft strength to an uneconomical level. It was therefore decided by Air Headquarters to combine B-57 and T-33 aircraft in one composite squadron in August 82. Wing Commander S Tanveer Hussain who was then OC No. 7 Squadron took over the new No. 2 Composite Squadron, while No. 7 Squadron was number-plated. On 22nd November 1982 Air Headquarters revived No. 7 Squadron with a new weapon system - the Chinese A-5 supersonic surface attack combat aircraft. The unit was now named No. 7 Tactical Attack Squadron whose first squadron commander was Wing Commander Shams Khan. A colorful ceremony was held on 27th December 1983 to formally reequip No. 7 Squadron with A-5s and to say goodbye to the 'heavies' - the B-57s. A smartly turned out contingent drawn from the aircrew and ground crew of the new squadron participated in the parade at which the squadron colour was handed over to the new custodians. At the end of the ceremony, 2 B-57s in close line astern formation flew past to mark the end of their service in the squadron, and in came three sleek and agile A-5s in close vic formation. The striking contrast between the two types underlined the new operational arena entered by No. 7 Squadron on that day. No. 7 Squadron has had the honour of fighting in defence of the country in both the 65 and 71 Wars. The squadron was tasked to carry out deep penetrations at night to bomb heavily defended enemy air bases. All missions were efficiently executed, demonstrating the highest standards of courage and devotion. In the process, 3 aircraft were lost to enemy ground fire during the two Wars. The squadron will always remain proud of its 6 Shaheeds. In the short duration of the War of 1965 this squadron earned 12 gallantry awards: 7 Sitara-i-Juraats and 5 Imtiazi Sanads. During the war of 1971 8 Sitara-i-Basalats and 2 Tamgha-i- Basalats were awarded to the squadron in recognition of the courage displayed by its pilots and navigators. In recognition of the squadron's acts of gallantry during the two wars, the Chief of the Air Staff presented the unit with one of its most coveted and proud possessions - the Squadron Colour. The Colour presentation parade, in April 1976, was commanded by the squadron commander Wing Commander Yousaf H Alvi, and the colour bearer was Flight Lieutenant Najam S Butt. The squadron now proudly parades this colour on all ceremonial occasions. |
No. 7 Squadron |
After bidding farewell to the 'Heavies' (B-57s) on 27 December 1983, the agile and sleek A-5s became the flying machines of 7 Squadron. During 1988, the maintenance of the A-5 fleet was going through a trubulent phase, so the men and material of this squadron were distributed among other units. The squadron was temporarily disbanded during the second half of 1988. On 13 November 1989, when the squadron was re-established with A-5s that had been overhauled in China, it took hardly any time to retain its operational status. The squadron participated in all the operational exercises conducted by the PAF. In May 1990, the Air Headquarters declared this squadron as an OCU for A-5 aircraft. A batch of newly graduated fighter pilots from the FCU reported to the squadron and completed their operational conversion successfully. Unfortunately, owing to the limitations of the aircraft ejection seat, many aircrew fatalities took place on the A-5s. Therefore, the fleet was grounded again. During this transitional period, all aircrew except the officer commanding, were attached or posted to other squadrons. On 1 July 1991, PAF Base Masroor recieved the first batch of Martin Baker zero-zero ejection seats and all the A-5s started flying again within a span of two months. Air Headquarters decided to re-equip No. 7 Squadron with ex-Australian Mirage-III aircraft, and thus the A-5s were transferred to Peshawar. Pilots experienced on Mirage aircraft were initially posted to the squadron to make it operationally stable. Those pilots were dubbed the 'Magnificent Seven' in the squadron history book. They were tasked with the responsibility of restoring the operational status of the squadron as soon as possible. After the first three Mirages had been recieved from PAC Kamra, the dawn of 24 November 1991 witnessed the first training sorties being generated by the squadron. During 1992, the squadron continued to gain proficiency on the newly inducted weapon system. On 15 February 1993, the squadron's entire flight assets were swapped with those of 22 OCU. While this change kept the squadron waiting for allotment of role and task by the Air Headqarters, it remained busy while integrating this new weapon system in the squadron. In November 1992, the squadron participated in the exercise Saffron Bandit, for the first time. The squadron also participated in all the operational exercises including High Mark-93 and 95, and air-to-air camp in 1995. The squadron stood fourth overall in the armament competition held in 1996. The Squadron received the ROSE modified ex-Australian Mirage Aircraft during 1997. It proved its mettle in annual air-to-ground weapons delivery exercises. The squadron participated in the Live Missile Firing Camp, held at PAF Base Masroor in 1998. It had the honour of guarding the aerial frontiers over Balochistan, prior to Pakistan's nuclear tests. At present, the squadron operates the maximum number of ROSE modified aircraft. After the induction of the new airborne radar, the squadron's role changed from tactical to multi-role unit.
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New Recruit
Is that sohail aman standing on extreme left???Air Chief Marshal Abbas Khattak (the tallest amongst all) among the group of fighter pilots of No. 9 Squadron.
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