PAF Base Minhas
PAF Airbase located at Attock District, Punjab, Pakistan
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Pakistan Air Force Base Minhas (IATA: ATG, ICAO: OPMS) is a Pakistan Air Force 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, and 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".
| PAF Base Minhas | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
پی اے ایف بیس منہاس | |||||||||
| Attock District, Punjab in Pakistan | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Air Force base | ||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defense | ||||||||
| Operator | Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Northern Air Command | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Other site facilities | Air University Kamra Campus Pakistan Aeronautical Complex NASTP Kamra | ||||||||
| Website | Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  PAF Base Minhas Shown with Punjab, Pakistan  PAF Base Minhas PAF Base Minhas (Pakistan) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°52′8″N 72°24′3″E | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1942 (established) 1984 (upgradation) | ||||||||
| Built for | British India Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||
| Built by | British Raj (foundation) Pakistan Air Force (later upgradation) | ||||||||
| In use | 1942 - present | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | Soviet–Afghan War Operation Sentinel War on terror Operation Swift Retort | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander |   Air Commodore Asad | ||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||
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| Reference(s):[1][2] | |||||||||
2012 terrorist 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, who led the operation against the attackers, was also shot in the shoulder, but his injury was not serious.[5][3] The militants also destroyed one Saab 2000 Erieye plane[6] and damaged one[7] or two others.[8]
