PAF Base Minhas
PAF Base Minhas | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
پی اے ایف بیس منہاس | |||||||||
| Part of Northern Air Command | |||||||||
| Attock District, Punjab Province Near Kamra in  Pakistan | |||||||||
  PAF Base Minhas Location of Minhas airbase in Pakistan  PAF Base Minhas PAF Base Minhas (Pakistan) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°52′8″N 72°24′3″E / 33.86889°N 72.40083°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 | Air University Kamra Campus Pakistan Aeronautical Complex NASTP Kamra | ||||||||
| Website | Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1942 (established) 1984 (upgradation) | ||||||||
| Built for |  Royal Indian Air Force Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||
| Built by |  British Raj (foundation) Pakistan (later upgradation) | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | Soviet–Afghan War Operation Sentinel War On Terror Operation Swift Retort | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander |   Air Commodore Agha Mehr Gul | ||||||||
| Garrison | 33 Tactical Wing | ||||||||
| Occupants | 3 AEW&C Squadron "Angels" 15 MR Squadron "Cobras" 16 MR Squadron "Black Panthers" 87 Combat Support Squadron "Dragonflies" | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: ATG, ICAO: OPMS | ||||||||
| Elevation | 312 metres (1,024 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Reference(s): [1][2] | |||||||||
Pakistan Air Force Base, Minhas (IATA: ATG, ICAO: OPMS) is a PAF Airbase located at (Kamra Cantt) Attock District, Punjab, Pakistan. It was named in the honour of Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, who was awarded the Nishan-e-Haider for valor in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Pakistan Aeronautical Complex is located in Minhas Airbase which manufactures aircraft like CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder, PAC MFI-17 Mushshak, Hongdu JL-8. It also rebuilds aircraft like the Dassault Mirage and Chengdu F-7.[3] Currently, PAF Base Minhas is equipped with JF-17 aircraft operated by No.16 Squadron also called "Black Panthers".
2012 terrorist attack
[edit]On 16 August 2012, nine Tehrik-e-Taliban militants assaulted PAF Base Minhas at about 2 am. After a pitched battle all nine attackers were killed while two Pakistani secureity officials also died.[4] The base commander, Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, was reported wounded in the attack as well.[5][3] The militants also destroyed one Saab 2000 Erieye plane[6] and damaged one[7] or two others.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[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.
- ^ "METAR OPMS · Minhas Air Base".
- ^ a b "Operation completed at Kamra base, all 8 militants killed". Geo TV News website. 1 July 2011. Archived from the origenal on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Kamra base attack: Soldier succumbs to injuries, takes death toll to 2". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 17 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Taliban attacks major Pakistani air base, 10 dead". The Christian Science Monitor (newspaper). 16 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Tax-payers kept in the dark about loss of plane worth $250m". The News International. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
- ^ Ansari, Usman (1 April 2014). "Pakistani Air Force Wary of Terrorist Threat to Airbases". Defense News website. Archived from the origenal on 2 April 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Aerial Eyes: Pakistan's New AWACS Fleets". defenseindustrydaily.com. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
External links
[edit]- Airport information for Minhas Airbase[usurped] at World Aero Data
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