| Nur Khan Air Force Base, Chaklala | |
| Iata: | NRK |
| Icao: | OPRN |
| Type: | Military |
| Owner: | Government of Pakistan |
| Operator: | Pakistan Air ForcePAF College Chaklala |
| City-Served: | Chaklala, Rawalpindi |
| Location: | Rawalpindi-46210, Punjab |
| Built: | 1935[1] |
| Commander: | Air CommodoreAbrar Haider Butt |
| Occupants: | Pakistan Air Force |
Pakistan Air Force Base, Nur Khan (founded as RAF Station Chaklala and previously known as PAF Base Chaklala) is an active Pakistan Air Force airbase located in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan. The former Benazir Bhutto International Airport forms part of this airbase. PAF College, Chaklala, a well nurturing institute for Aviation Cadets of the college is also located in the base.[2] Fazaia Inter College Nur Khan is also located in the base.[3]
The base was originally operated by the Royal Air Force as RAF Chaklala and, during the Second World War, parachute training flights were conducted.
Once transferred to the then Royal Pakistan Air Force the base came into use as a transport hub, with the PAF's fleet of various transport aircraft operating from it.[4] [5]
After the Pakistan earthquake of 2005, 300 U.S. troops as well as U.S. aircraft were deployed to Chaklala to aid in relief efforts. According to an anonymous 2013 source, the U.S. had maintained a permanent military presence at Chaklala since late 2001 for handling logistics efforts and other movements in relation to the war in Afghanistan.[6]
In 2009 the PAF's first of four Il-78 aerial refuelling tanker aircraft was delivered to PAF Base Chaklala and the No. 10 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) squadron was established there.[7]
The name of the base was changed in 2012 from PAF Base Chaklala to PAF Base Nur Khan in remembrance of its first Base Commander in 1947, Air Marshal Nur Khan. Nur Khan was also the second Pakistani chief of the Pakistan Air Force and a veteran of several conflicts fought by Pakistan.[8]
The Pakistan Air Force Squadrons at the base are No. 6, 10, 12, and 41, which are of the PAF's fleet.
No. 6 Squadron was formed without any aircraft or equipment on 14 August 1947 at Maripur, Karachi, under its first commanding officer, Flight Lieutenant M. J. Khan. On 16 August 1947, Air Officer Commanding Air Vice Marshal visited the squadron and commissioned it for heavy airlifting and airborne operations. The PAF acquired a Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft on 22 October 1947 and later obtained Bristol Freighter, Tiger Moth, and Auster AOP.9 aircraft. On 29 June 1948, a detachment of the squadron provided a guard of honour at Mauripur for Governor-General Muhammad Ali Jinnah on his arrival from Quetta. On 9 September 1948, three Dakota aircraft performed a flypast at the Quaid-e-Azam's funeral ceremony.
In the 1965 India-Pakistan War the Antelopes dropped parachute commandos into Indian territory in a night-time mission involving three C-130B transports. Just before the 1965 war started, the squadron's commanding officer, Wing Commander Eric Gordan Hall, had the idea of making up for the PAF's deficiency in heavy bombers by modifying the Hercules to carry bombs.[2] It was converted to carry 10,000 kg of bombs, which were rolled out on pallets from the rear ramp, and over 21 night-time bombing raids were flown against Indian forces approaching for the Battles of Chawinda and Pul Kanjari. Support missions for troops in the Northern Areas were continued after the war.
With the unstable political situation at the end of 1970 and the resulting civil unrest, the Antelopes moved a large number of troops to East Pakistan and assisted in flood relief operations there. India stopped the PAF flying over its territory in 1971, and the squadron had to fly to East Pakistan via Sri Lanka. Two of the unit's C-130 transports were deployed to Dhaka from March 71 until the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War began on 3 December 1971. They were used to evacuate soldiers and civilians from hostile areas of East Pakistan – in one sortie a single C-130 evacuated 365 people from Sylhet to Dhaka. During the 1971 war, No. 6 Squadron flew bombing missions from West Pakistan in the same manner as those flown during the 1961 war, and no transport aircraft were lost during these sorties
No. 12 Composite Squadron in September 1953, the Squadron Consists of PAF's Elite Air Crafts amongst which includes Phenom 100 and Gulf Stream IV.
No. 10 Squadron was established as the Tanker Transport (MRTT) Squadron ("Bulls") with delivery of the PAF's first Il-78 in December 2009 and operating from PAF Base Chaklala.
41 Squadron, which consists of Cessna, Beech, and Y-12 amongst other aircraft.
College Squadrons from the PAF College's fleet consists of No.1, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 7 Squadron.[9]
No. 1 Squadron (Bandits), which is the Basic Flying Training Squadron operated by the PAF College Chaklala, under the command of Aviation Officer Cadet Munawar Ali (TA) who is the current OC of the Squadron. The main aircraft of the Squadron is the new and upgraded Stemme S-6.[10]
No. 4 Squadron (Hawks), is also another Basic Flying Training Squadron, operated by the PAF College Chaklala, under the command of Aviation Officer Cadet Abdul Rafay (TA) who is the current OC of the Squadron. The main aircraft of the Squadron is the Stemme S-6.[11]
No.5 Squadron (Griffins), which is the Advance Jet Training Squadron operated by the PAF College Chaklala, under the command of Aviation Officer Cadet Sameer Shah (TA), (TA) & (SB) who is the current OC of the Squadron. The main aircraft of the Squadron is the Advance Jet Trainer Karakoram-8.[12]
No. 7 Squadron (Stargazers), is the Advance Flying Training Squadron operated by the PAF College Chaklala, under the command of Aviation Officer Cadet Hamza Shehzad (TA) who is the current OC of the Squadron. The main aircraft of the Squadron is the Flying Trainer Super Mushak.[13]
Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala[14] [15] previously known as the Royal Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala is a premier training institution of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), established in 1948, the institute provides academic and professional education to aviation cadets. Located in PAF Base Nur Khan, Rawalpindi, the college trains aviation cadets to become future leaders of the Pakistan Air Force, focusing on character building, leadership, and professional development. The location where the college stands today has been named after the second commander in chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Nur Khan.
The Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala was established in 1935 as an airfield for the Royal Flying Corps known as the RAF Chaklala Air Field, and after Pakistan gained independence in 1947, it was formally established as the Royal Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala on January 15, 1948, and upgraded to a flying college on December 13, 1948, and later renamed as Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala on August, 1957, training officers of the Pakistan Air Force, as well as cadets and officers of the Pakistan Army, Navy and other countries, using various aircraft including Harvard, Tiger Moth and Auster with five constituent units: College of Flying Training, College of Aeronautical Engineering, Flying Instructors School, Para Training School and Military Training Wing, hosting various events like Passing Out Parade, Convocation, Graduation and All Pakistan Bilingual Declamation Competition, and has a memorial called Falcons Hearth dedicated to cadets and instructors who died during training or on active service.
The college offers various programs, including:
• General Duty Pilot (GDP) training
• Aeronautical and Avionics Engineering
• Ground Branch training
Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala provides flying training to aviation cadets through various programs, including Primary Flying Training (PFT) using Stemme S-6 aircraft, Basic Flying Training (BFT) using MFI-17 Super Mushak aircraft, Advance Flying Training using Karakoram-8 aircraft, and Para Motor Gliders for aerial experience, with a range of training programs such as College of Flying Training, Flying Instructors School, Para Training School, and Military Training Wing, using various aircraft to equip aviation cadets with flying skills and develop them into well-rounded officers for the Pakistan Air Force. Aviation cadets who qualify these programs equip their flying wings in a short period and get the opportunity to be part of the College Squadrons and continue to operate aircraft based on their progress report. Some aviation cadets get their flying wings by the age of 16 - 17 years. After graduating from the College the aviation cadets are called-in for direct commission in the aviation branches of Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy as General Duty Pilots.[16]
Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala offers a four-year undergraduate program in Aeronautical and Avionics Engineering divided in two years program in PAF College Chaklala and two years program in PAF Academy Asghar Khan, accredited by PEC and HEC, covering a comprehensive curriculum including Aerospace Engineering, Avionics Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Humanities, and Science, with modern facilities and an experienced faculty.
Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala's Ground Branch training is a four-year program that includes a comprehensive curriculum covering air operations, small arms, field craft, leadership, physical exercises, military drill, sports, extracurricular activities, literary activities, educational visits, and student counseling, with training imparted by the Military Training Wing, which is sub-divided into four squadrons competing for the "Quaid-e-Azam Banner", culminating in a graduation ceremony held semi-annually, where cadets joining ground branches after completing their College years and are subjected for two years at the PAF Academy Asghar Khan, developing physical fitness, discipline, personal, and leadership qualities.
Life in Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala is a challenging and transformative experience, marked by strict discipline, rigorous training programs, physical and academic pursuits, leadership development, team-building, and a strong emphasis on honor, integrity, and duty, with a focus on producing well-rounded officers, equipped to lead and serve the Pakistan Air Force with integrity and professionalism, while fostering esprit de corps, traditions, and a sense of belonging, through constant evaluation, feedback, and opportunities for personal growth and development.
The Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala has a range of facilities, including a Cadets' Mess, Gymnasium, Football Fields, Hockey Fields, Tennis Courts, Swimming Pool, Polo Ground, Basketball Courts, Athletics Field, Cadets' Mosque, Hobbies' Club, College Auditorium, College Library, Paradise Point, and an Air Scouting Unit, which provide aviation cadets with opportunities for physical exercise, skill development, relaxation, and mental stimulation, all aimed at shaping them into well-rounded officers.
The Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala is affiliated with:
• Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad.
• Cambridge International Assesments and Education, United Kingdom.
• PAF Academy Asghar Khan, Risalpur.
• Air War College, Pakistan Air Force.
• Combat Commanders School, Mushaf.
• Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra.
• Air University, Islamabad.
The college's mission is to develop well-rounded officers who are prepared to lead and serve the Pakistan Air Force with integrity, honor, and professionalism.
Pakistan Air Force College Chaklala's vision is to develop well-rounded individuals who can contribute to the development of a prosperous, peaceful, and enlightened society, with objectives focused on academic excellence, character development, and physical training, aiming to inculcate leadership qualities, integrity, loyalty, self-discipline, and devotion to duty, while providing undergraduate education to officer candidates for the Pakistan Air Force.
The base has surrounding facilities including the Frontier Works Organization Headquarters, Chaklala Railway Station and the Joint Services Headquarters (JSHQ). Two housing schemes Askaris VIII and IX are also located alongside Nur Khan road that extends to the main entrance of the base from Airport Road. The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies, a research think tank founded by the Pakistan Air Force, is located next to Nur Khan Base.