DEFENCE NOTES

F-86 F&E Sabres in Pakistan Air Force

Gp Capt SULTAN M HALI talks about the fighting warhorse of the PAF that gave us air superiority in the 60s.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) received a total of 102 F-86Fs from the USA, following the conclusion of a mutual defence assistance pact in 1954. After the Pakistan-India war of 1965 and the resulting embargo on US Military aid, PAF purchased 90 ex-Luftwaffe Orenda-engined Sabre Mk-6s known in PAF as F-86Es. The Sabres were phased out after exhausting their airframe life in 1980. During its twenty four years stay with Pakistan Air Force, the Sabres and their pilots saw meritorious service. PAF pilots flew a total of 320,185 hours in the PAF out of which about 4,500 hours were flown during the war. Fifty PAF pilots were decorated with gallantry awards for their kills during the 1965 and 1971 Pakistan-India Wars. Some prominent landmarks are listed in the chart that follows.

IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENTS BY SABRES OF PAF

S.NO

 DATE EVENT REMARKS
1 13 June 1956

F-86F Sabres enter PAF inventory.

  
2 25 Feb 1957 7 Sabre Aerobatics Team The Falcons formed.  
3 23 Mar 1957 64 Sabres participate in the fly past on Pakistan Day Parade.  
4 02 Feb 1958 PAF stages first-in-the world 16 aircraft formation loop  in an air display in honour of King  Zahir Shahof Afghanistan. Details provided
5 10 Apr 1959 Flight Lieutenant M Yunis shoots down an Indian Air Force (IAF) Canberra, which intruded into Pakistani territory on Eid Day. Canberra crewSquadron Leader Sen Gupta and Flight LieutenantS M Rampal made POWs. Details provided.
6 01 Sep 1965 Squadron Leader Sarfraz  Rafiqui and Flight Lieutenant Imtiaz Bhatti shoot down 4 IAF Vampires.   Details provided.
7 06 Sep 1965 No 19 Squadron carries out devastating strike at IAF Base, Pathankot.   Details provided.
8 06 Sep 1965 No 5 Squadron attacks IAF at Halwara. Details provided.
9 06 Sep 1965 Squadron Leader M M Alam shoots down Indian Hunter during a raid on IAF Base,Adampur. IAF pilot Flight Lieutenant Rawllay of No 7 Squadron was killed in action
10 07 Sep 1965 No 14 Squadron strikes IAF Base Kalaikunda. Details provided.
11 07 Sep 1965 Squadron Leader M M Alam becomes an Ace during epic battle over PAF Sargodha.   Details provided.
12 07 Sep 1965 Flight Lieutenant Anwar-ul-Haq Malik shoots down an IAF Mystere over Sargodha. Indian pilot Flight Lieutenant B Guhe of No 1 Squadron killed in action.  
13 13 Sep 1965 Flight Lieutenant Yusuf Ali Khan shoots down IAF Gnat over Amritsar (India). Indian pilot Flight  Lieutenant A N Kale of No 2 Squadron ejected safely.  
14 16 Sep 1965 Squadron Leader M M Alam down IAF Hunter over Amritsar (India). Indian pilot Flight Lieutenant F D Bunsha of No 7 Squadron killed in action.  
15 19 Sep 1965 Flight Lieutenant Saiful Azam shoots down an Indian Gnat over Sialkot. Indian pilot Flight Lieutenant Maya Dev of No 9 Squadron  was made POW.  
16 20 Sep 1965 Squadron Leader Sharbat Ali shoots down an IAF Hunter over Lahore. Indian pilot Changezi Squadron Leader S K Sharma of  No 7 Squadron ejected over own territory. 
17 20 Sep 1965 Flight Lieutenant S N A Jilani shoots down an IAF Hunter over Lahore. Indian pilot Squadron Leader D P Chatterjee of No 7 Squadron killed in action.  
18 1966 F-86Es enter PAF inventory.    
19 09 Mar 1967 Grand Fire Power demonstration held at Jamrudrange in honour of Shah of  Iran.   F-86Fs & F-86Es participate actively.  
20 23 Nov 1970 F-86Es modified to carry bombs    
21 04 Dec 1971 Flight Lieutenant Mujahid Salik shoots down IAF Hunter over Duman. Indian pilot Flying Officer Sudhir Tyagi  of No 27 Squadron killed in action.
22 04 Dec 1971 Flight Lieutenant Salim Baig shoots down IAF Hunter over Peshawar. Indian pilot, Flying P Muralidharan of No 20 Squadron killed in action.  
23 04 Dec 1971 Squadron Leader Javed Afzal shoots down an IAF MiG-21 and one Hunter. His No 2 Flight Lieutenant Saeed Afzal shoots down a Hunter over Dhaka (then East Pakistan).   In the ensuing battle, Flight Lieutenant Saeed Afzal was shot down and is martyred in action.
24 04 Dec 1971 Flight Lieutenant Schms shoots down an IAF over Dhaka. Details of the Air-ul-Haq Battle over Dhaka Hunter by the lone No 14 Squadron comprising Sabres against 10 IAF  Squadrons is given in detail.  
25 04 Dec 1971 Flight Lieutenant Shams-ul-Haq shoots down an IAF SU-7 and two Hunters while his No 2 Flying Officer Shamshad shoot down one Hunter over Dhaka.    
26 04 Dec 1971 Squadron Leader Dilawar Hussain, shoots down an IAF over Narayanganj (then East Pakistan). Indian pilot Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Hunter Lemontree ejected safely and made POW.
27 10 Dec 1971 Wing Commander Moin Rabb shoots down an IAF SU-7 while his No.2 Flight  Lieutenant Taloot Mirza also shoots down an SU-7 over Jaurian, battlefront.   Indian pilot Flight Lieutenant S.K. Chibber was killed in action.  
28 10 Dec 1971 Squadron Leader Aslam Choudhry shoots down an IAF Hunter over Chamb battlefront.   Indian pilot MK Jain was killed in action.
29 11 Dec 1971 Wing Commander Ali Imam Bukhari and his No 2 Squadron Leader Cecil each shoot down an SU-7 over the battlefront at Shakargarh. Indian pilot Flight Lieutenant K K Mohan of NoChoudhry 26 Squadron was killed in action.   
30 14 Dec 1971 Squadron Salim Gohar shoots down an IAF Krishak over Shakargarh battlefront.   Indian pilot Captain P K Gaur killed in action.  
31 14 Dec 1971 Flight Lieutenant Salim Baig shoots down an IAF Gnat   Details provided.  
32 17 Dec 1971 Flight Lieutenant Maqsood Amir shoots down an IAF MiG-21FL over Pasrur (Pakistan). Indian pilot Flight Lieutenant Tejwant Singh of No 29 Squadron made POW.

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