SOURCE: AFI
In a decisive and unprecedented military operation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) executed precision strikes on May 10, 2025, targeting over a dozen Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases as part of Operation Sindoor, obliterating nearly 20% of Pakistan’s air force infrastructure and destroying several fighter aircraft. The operation, a retaliatory response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, targeted critical military installations, including the airbases at Nur Khan (Chaklala), Rafiqui (Shorkot), Murid (Chakwal), Sukkur (Bholari), Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari, and Jacobabad, as well as radar sites and command centers.
Satellite imagery, particularly from Shahbaz Air Base in Jacobabad, has revealed the scale of destruction, confirming India’s technological and strategic dominance in the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. Official sources disclosed these details on May 13, 2025, highlighting the operation’s success in degrading Pakistan’s offensive capabilities.
Launched on May 7, 2025, Operation Sindoor was India’s response to escalating cross-border hostilities, including Pakistan’s drone and missile attacks on Indian civilian and military targets. The operation initially targeted nine terrorist facilities linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), such as Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, and Kotli. However, following Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes on May 7–9, which targeted 26 locations across India, the IAF escalated its campaign, striking 11 PAF airbases and associated infrastructure on the night of May 9–10.
The strikes, executed with air-launched precision weapons, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, HAMMER, and SCALP munitions, demonstrated India’s ability to penetrate deep into Pakistani territory. The BrahMos, with its 290-km range and Mach 2.8 speed, likely played a pivotal role, marking its first combat use. The targets, chosen for their operational and strategic significance, included drone command centers, air defense nodes, radar installations, and aircraft deployment hubs, with minimal collateral damage reported.
Devastation Across PAF Bases
The IAF’s strikes crippled key PAF bases, significantly weakening Pakistan’s air defense and offensive capabilities. Official sources estimate that 20% of PAF infrastructure was destroyed, including runways, hangars, command centers, and several fighter aircraft, such as JF-17 Thunders, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and possibly a Saab 2000 Erieye AWACS. The targeted bases, spanning Pakistan’s Northern, Central, and Southern Air Commands, included:
- Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi): Located 10 km from Islamabad, this base houses Pakistan’s Air Mobility Command, C-130 transporters, IL-78 refuelers, and Saab Erieye AWACS. Satellite images show severe damage to runways and buildings, disrupting logistical and strategic operations.
- Rafiqui (Shorkot, Punjab): Home to JF-17 and Mirage 5 squadrons, this base supports rapid deployment across eastern and western fronts. Its 10,000-foot runway was heavily damaged, hampering operations.
- Murid (Chakwal, Punjab): A hub for Pakistan’s drone fleet, including Bayraktar TB2s and Wing Loong IIs, Murid’s hangars and UAV infrastructure were neutralized, crippling Pakistan’s unmanned capabilities.
- Sukkur (Bholari, Sindh): One of Pakistan’s newest bases, Bholari hosts F-16s, JF-17s, and Saab 2000 AWACS. High-resolution Maxar imagery confirmed a direct hit on a quick-reaction alert (QRA) hangar, with debris indicating potential aircraft damage.
- Sialkot and Pasrur (Punjab): These forward bases, critical for operations near the LoC, saw their radar sites and air defense units destroyed, creating vulnerabilities along Pakistan’s eastern frontier.
- Chunian (Punjab): A primary operational base 70 km south of Lahore, Chunian’s radar and communication systems were disrupted, impairing central Punjab’s airspace monitoring.
- Sargodha (Mushaf, Punjab): Pakistan’s most elite base, housing the Central Air Command, Combat Commanders School, and nuclear-capable aircraft, suffered runway damage and loss of critical assets, dealing a symbolic and operational blow.
- Skardu (PoK): A strategic northern base near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Skardu’s neutralization degraded Pakistan’s surveillance and air operations in the region.
- Jacobabad (Shahbaz, Sindh): Satellite imagery revealed extensive damage to a hangar and operational support areas at Shahbaz, home to F-16s, JF-17s, and AW139 helicopters. The base’s role in NATO’s Operation Enduring Freedom underscores its significance.
- Rahim Yar Khan (Punjab): A forward base sharing its runway with Sheikh Zayed International Airport, its runway was left with a massive crater, suspending flight operations.
Satellite imagery from Maxar, KawaSpace, and MizarVision, captured on May 10–11, provided visual evidence of the strikes’ impact. At Shahbaz Air Base in Jacobabad, before-and-after images showed a hangar on the main apron reduced to rubble, with minor damage to the air traffic control building suspected. Similarly, craters on runways at Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, and Nur Khan, along with damaged air defense radars at Pasrur, Chunian, and Arifwala, confirmed the precision and scale of India’s attacks.
NOTE: AFI is a proud outsourced content creator partner of IDRW.ORG. All content created by AFI is the sole property of AFI and is protected by copyright. AFI takes copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all legal options available to protect its content.