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.[1]Currently, PAF Base Minhas is equipped with JF-17 aircraft operated by No.16 Squadron also called "Black Panthers".

Minhas Air Force Base, Kamra
Logo of PAF Base Minhas
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerGovernment of Pakistan
OperatorPakistan Air Force
LocationAttock
Commander

Air Commodore

Agha Mehr Gul
OccupantsPakistan Air Force
Elevation AMSL1,023 ft / 312 m
Coordinates33°52′8″N 72°24′3″E / 33.86889°N 72.40083°E / 33.86889; 72.40083
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12/30 9,950 3,033 Asphalt

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 security officials also died.[2] The base commander, Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, was reported wounded in the attack as well.[3][1] The militants also destroyed one Saab 2000 Erieye plane[4] and damaged one[5] or two others.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "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.
  2. ^ "Kamra base attack: Soldier succumbs to injuries, takes death toll to 2". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 17 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Taliban attacks major Pakistani air base, 10 dead". The Christian Science Monitor (newspaper). 16 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Tax-payers kept in the dark about loss of plane worth $250m". The News International. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Aerial Eyes: Pakistan's New AWACS Fleets". defenseindustrydaily.com. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2022.

External links edit