PAF Base Masroor
Logo of PAF Base Masroor
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorPakistan Air Force
LocationKarachi
Opened1940
CommanderAir Commodore Muhammad Asim Rana
OccupantsPakistan Air Force
Elevation AMSL35 ft / 11 m
Coordinates24°53′37″N 66°56′20″E / 24.89361°N 66.93889°E / 24.89361; 66.93889
WebsitePakistan Air Force
Map
PAF Base Masroor is located in Karachi
PAF Base Masroor
PAF Base Masroor
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
04/22 8,622 2,628 Asphalt
09/27 9,022 2,750 Concrete

PAF Base Masroor (ICAO: OPMR) is the largest airbase operated by the Pakistan Air Force. It is located in the Mauripur area of Karachi, in the Sindh province.[1]

The base was originally known as RPAF Station Mauripur and after 1956, as PAF Station Mauripur.

PAF Base Faisal is the other Pakistan Air Force base in Karachi. The new PAF Base Bholari near Karachi was inaugurated in January 2018.[2][3]

History

PAF F-86 Sabres lined up during a ceremony at Masrur

The airbase at Mauripur was established by Britain (Royal Indian Air Force, RIAF) during World War II in 1940–1941. On establishment of the Royal Pakistan Air Force (RPAF) the base became RPAF Station Mauripur.

PAF Base Mauripur was renamed PAF Base Masroor in honour of former Base Commander, Air Commodore Masroor Hussain, who died in June 1967 due to a bird strike on his aircraft. He managed to direct the burning aircraft away from a populated area before crashing.[4]

Features

Masroor base has the distinction of not only being the largest base, area wise, in Pakistan but also in Asia. Before Karachi Airport, this airport had been used for domestic flights and also by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. It is of immense strategic importance considering it has been entrusted upon the task of defending the coastal and Southern region of Pakistan. It houses the 32 Tactical Attack (TA) Wing which comprises six separate squadrons. squadrons include No 2 MR squadron operating JF-17C Block 2s, No 4 AWACS Squadron operating Karakoram Eagle AWACS, No 7 TA Squadron operating Mirage 3 ROSE 1, No 8 TA Squadron operating Mirage 5PA2/3, No 22 OCU operating Mirage 3EL/D and No 84 CSS operating AW-139 Seahawk CSAR helicopters. Base is also home to College of Aviation safety management and Tactical Air Support school (TASS).[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Shazia Hasan (7 September 2018). "Defence Day celebrated in city with great zeal". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  2. ↑ PAF inaugurates new operational air base at Bholari near Karachi
  3. ↑ Khawaja Asif lays foundation stone of PAF Bholari base in Jamshoro
  4. ↑ Pakistan Air Force (scroll down to read PAF Base Masroor) Scramble (Dutch Aviation Society) website, Retrieved 4 October 2021
  5. ↑ Pakistan Air Force Bases (list includes PAF Base Masroor) nuke.fas.org website, Retrieved 4 October 2021


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