PAF Base Mushaf (formerly PAF Station Sargodha and 'PAF Base Sargodha), IATA: MSF, ICAO: OPMH), is a Pakistan Air Force airbase situated at Sargodha in Punjab, Pakistan. It is designated as a "Major Operational Base" (MOB) by the PAF.[3]
PAF Base Mushaf | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
پی اے ایف بیس مصحف | |||||||||
| Part of Central Air Command | |||||||||
| Sargodha District, Punjab Province Near Sargodha in  Pakistan | |||||||||
 Flight line of Mushaf airbase in 2024 | |||||||||
  PAF Base Mushaf Location of Mushaf airbase in Pakistan  PAF Base Mushaf PAF Base Mushaf (Pakistan) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°02′55″N 72°39′55″E / 32.04861°N 72.66528°E | ||||||||
| Type | Air Force base | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defense | ||||||||
| Operator |  Pakistan Armed Forces | ||||||||
| Controlled by |  Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Other site facilities | Combat Commanders' School | ||||||||
| Website | Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1942 | ||||||||
| Built for |  Royal Indian Air Force Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||
| Built by |  British Raj (foundation) | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | 1965 Indo-Pakistani war 1971 Indo-Pakistani war Operation Sentinel Operation Swift Retort | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander |  
Air Commodore Hassan Faisal | ||||||||
| Garrison | 38 MR Wing Airpower Center of Excellence | ||||||||
| Occupants | 9 Squadron "Griffins" 23 Squadron "Talons" 24 Squadron "Blinders" 29 Aggressor Squadron CCS JF-17 "Fierce Dragons" CCS Mirage "Skybolts" 82 CS Squadron "Stallions" | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: MSF, ICAO: OPMH | ||||||||
| Elevation | 187 metres (614 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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| Reference(s): [1][2] | |||||||||
It was known as PAF Base Sargodha until 2003, when it was renamed in honour of the former Base Commander and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir, whose aircraft crashed on a routine flight near Kohat in February 2003.[4][5]
The PAF's Central Air Command (CAC), the Combat Commanders' School (CCS), and the PAF Airpower Centre of Excellence (PAF ACE) are based at PAF Base Mushaf, PAF Base Mushaf is the most elite and widely operational base in Pakistan, consisting of the highest equipped aircraft and squadrons and the best trained pilots and commanders.
History
editPAF Base Mushaf was originally established as an airstrip by the Royal Air Force during the 1930s. After World War II, the airstrip was apart of the Sargodha Satellite Fields, and was known as Sargodha (Main). In 1959, the airstrip was commissioned as PAF Base Sargodha. [6]
Incidents
editOn 1 November 2007, a suicide bomber struck the 50-seat bus carrying PAF officers to nearby Kirana Ammunition Depot, killing 11 people (including 7 officers) and injuring 28. The bombing took place on Faisalabad Road, where a motorcycle loaded with explosives rammed the bus and triggered the blast. All the officers were new recruits posted to PAFB Mushaf for training.[7]
This was the last major attack before the 2007 state of emergency was imposed on the country.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Khan, Farhat; Hashmi, Qadeer (2024). History of the Pakistan Air Force (2014-2023): The Next Generation Air Force (1st ed.). ISBN 978-969-7518-01-2.
- ^ "Mushaf Air Base (SGI)".
- ^ PAF Base Mushaf on Scramble (Dutch Aviation Society) website Retrieved 30 September 2021
- ^ Funeral held for Pakistan air chief (Mushaf Ali Mir) BBC News website, Published 21 February 2003, Retrieved 30 September 2021
- ^ Sargodha Air Base named after Mushaf Dawn (newspaper), Published 30 April 2003, Retrieved 30 September 2021
- ^ "Satellite Airfields and Kirana Hill near Mushaf Airbase". Pakistan Defence. Forum. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Seven PAF officers among 11 dead in suicide attack". Dawn (newspaper). 2 November 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2021.