SOURCE: AFI
On May 10, 2025, the Indian Air Force (IAF) delivered a crippling blow to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) with a precision strike on PAF Base Bholari, destroying a SAAB 2000 Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft. The operation, part of India’s retaliatory campaign dubbed #OperationSindoor2, has been termed the “Bholari Catastrophe” due to the significant tactical error by the PAF that left the high-value asset vulnerable.
According to posts on X by user Hukum (@hukum2082), the IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) in the western sector had been closely monitoring all airborne SAAB 2000 Erieye aircraft over Pakistani airspace, identifying them as high-priority targets. At around 12:00 PM on May 10, an Erieye from PAF’s No.3 Squadron, call sign “Overlord 3,” was flagged landing at Bholari after an extended mission. The aircraft, typically based at PAC Kamra, had been deployed to Bholari as part of Pakistan’s Mission Bunyan-ul-Marsoos, a response to India’s ongoing operations following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 civilians.
The PAF’s decision to usher the Erieye into a hangar to avoid surveillance proved to be a critical misstep. Sources suggest that while the aircraft was in the hangar, PAF officers were collecting data inside, and the technical crew was preparing it for its next mission. Instead of hot refueling and taking off immediately—a standard procedure during heightened conflict—the aircraft remained grounded, giving the IAF a window to strike. A Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, referred to as the “mighty Flanker,” launched a devastating precision strike, likely using an air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) such as the BrahMos, as confirmed by satellite imagery from Indian firm KawaSpace showing a heavily damaged hangar at Bholari.
The strike resulted in the destruction of the Erieye, a key asset for Pakistan’s airborne surveillance, and caused significant casualties. Reports indicate that Squadron Leader Usman Yousaf and at least four other PAF personnel were killed, with unconfirmed reports of additional injuries. The loss of the Erieye, one of nine such aircraft in the PAF’s fleet, severely hampers Pakistan’s ability to monitor and coordinate aerial operations, especially amid ongoing Indian strikes on multiple PAF bases, including Nur Khan, Sargodha, and Jacobabad, as part of Operation Sindoor.
The incident highlights a tactical gaffe by the PAF, which failed to prioritize the safety of its critical AEW&C platform during a deadly air campaign. The IAF’s strategic focus on degrading Pakistan’s command, control, and intelligence capabilities underscores the evolving nature of modern warfare between the two nations, where precision strikes on high-value targets can shift the balance of power. As tensions continue to simmer, the Bholari Catastrophe serves as a stark reminder of the high stakes involved in this conflict, with the PAF now grappling with a significant operational setback.
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