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 Show map of Punjab, Pakistan PAF Base Minhas PAF Base Minhas (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates	33°52′8″N 72°24′3″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
Runways Direction Length and surface 12R/30L (main) 3,033 metres (9,951 ft) Concrete 12L/30R (secondary) 3,020 metres (9,908 ft) Asphalt
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

Main article: 2012 Minhas airbase attack

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 security 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

• Rashid Minhas

References

1. 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.
2. "METAR OPMS · Minhas Air Base".
3. "Operation completed at Kamra base, all 8 militants killed". Geo TV News website. 1 July 2011. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
4. "Kamra base attack: Soldier succumbs to injuries, takes death toll to 2". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 17 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
5. "Taliban attacks major Pakistani air base, 10 dead". The Christian Science Monitor (newspaper). 16 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
6. "Tax-payers kept in the dark about loss of plane worth $250m". The News International. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
7. Ansari, Usman (1 April 2014). "Pakistani Air Force Wary of Terrorist Threat to Airbases". Defense News website. Archived from the original on 2 April 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
8. "Aerial Eyes: Pakistan's New AWACS Fleets". defenseindustrydaily.com. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2022.

External links

• Airport information for Minhas Airbase^[usurped] at World Aero Data