Latest news with #PakistaniAirForce
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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
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Pakistan's Rahim Yar Khan airbase India struck during Op Sindoor still not operational, Notam extended
More than two months after India struck Pakistan's Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Operation Sindoor, the airbase continues to be out of operations. Pakistan has issued a Notam (notice to airmen) that the airbase remains closed as the runway remains unavailable for operations because of ongoing work. read more More than two months after India struck Pakistan's Rahim Yar Khan airbase in Operation Sindoor, it continues to remain out of operations. The Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA) on Friday issued a Notam (notice to airmen) that the Rahim Yar Khan airbase will remain out of operations till August 5. This is the sixth Notam that Pakistan has issued since May 10 when India struck the airbase along with several other military sites. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As with previous Notams, the latest notice has also said that the runway is not available for operations due to work in progress — an apparent reference to reconstruction after Indian strikes. Pakistan's Rahim Yar Khan airbase is a dual-purpose facility. While the Pakistani Air Force has stationed fighter planes and drones at the base and uses it as a forward bases for operations against India, civilian flights operates from a full-fledged civilian airport called Shaikh Zayed International Airport. Both the air force and civilian planes use the same runway. During Operation Sindoor that India launched on the night of May 6-7, India struck several Pakistani military sites, including airbases, air defence units, and radar sites. India targeted military installations after Pakistan attacked India after India's initial strikes on May 6-7 night on terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). The battering over four days forced Pakistan to request a ceasefire on May 10 — a request that India granted. ALSO READ: 20% of PAF assets destroyed, 50 soldiers killed: How Operation Sindoor is a huge body blow to Pakistan's military Satellite images in the aftermath of Indian strikes showed deep craters on the runway and extensive damage to buildings in the airbase. Understanding Pakistan's Notam for Rahim Yar Khan airbase Without going into the specifics, the Notam has said in its technical language that the airport's runway will remain out of operations till August 5. See the notification below. The Notam (notice to airmen) issued by Pakistan for the Rahim Yar Khan airbase on July 18, 2025. (Photo: Pakistan Aviation Authority) The 'OPRK' is the code for the Rahim Yar Khan Airport and 'QMRLC' refers to Notam's subject and status: 'QMR' meaning runway and 'LC' meaning it is closed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The '2507170540' refers to the start time of the Notam at July 17, 2025, at 05:40 am and '2508052359' refers to the estimated end time of the Notam at August 5, 2025 at 11:59 pm. The 'RWY NOT AVBL FOR FLT OPS DUE WIP' means that the runway is not available for flight operations due to work in progress. Therefore, in plain language, the technical notice reads as: The Rahim Khan Yar Airport is not available for flight operations from 5:40 am on July 17, 2025, to 11:59 pm on August 5 because the runway is not available as work is in progress at the runway.
The Independent
06-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
French intelligence: China used embassies to undermine sales of France's flagship Rafale fighter jet
China deployed its embassies to spread doubts about the performance of French-made Rafale jets after they saw combat in India and Pakistan 's clashes in May, French military and intelligence officials have concluded, implicating Beijing in an effort to hammer the reputation and sales of France 's flagship fighter. Findings from a French intelligence service seen by The Associated Press say defense attaches in China's foreign embassies led a charge to undermine Rafale sales, seeking to persuade countries that have already ordered the French-made fighter — notably Indonesia — not to buy more and to encourage other potential buyers to choose Chinese-made planes. The findings were shared with AP by a French military official on condition that the official and the intelligence service not be named. Four days of India-Pakistan clashes in May were the most serious confrontation in years between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, and included air combat that involved dozens of aircraft from both sides. Military officials and researchers have since been digging for details of how Pakistan's Chinese-made military hardware — particularly warplanes and air-combat missiles — fared against weaponry that India used in airstrikes on Pakistani targets, notably French-made Rafale fighters. Sales of Rafales and other armaments are big business for France's defense industry and help efforts by the government in Paris to strengthen ties with other nations, including in Asia where China is becoming the dominant regional power. France is fighting what it calls a disinformation campaign against the Rafale Pakistan claimed its air force downed five Indian planes during the fighting, including three Rafales. French officials say that prompted questions about their performance from countries that have bought the fighter from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation. India acknowledged aircraft losses but didn't say how many. French air force chief Gen. Jérôme Bellanger said that he's seen evidence pointing to just 3 Indian losses — a Rafale, a Russian-made Sukhoi and a Mirage 2000, which is an earlier generation French-made jet. It was the first known combat loss of a Rafale, which France has sold to eight countries. 'Of course, all those, the nations that bought Rafales, asked themselves questions,' Bellanger said. French officials have been battling to protect the plane from reputational damage, pushing back against what they allege was a concerted campaign of Rafale-bashing and disinformation online from Pakistan and its ally China. They say the campaign included viral posts on social media, manipulated imagery showing supposed Rafale debris, AI-generated content and video-game depictions to simulate supposed combat. More than 1,000 social media accounts newly created as the India-Pakistan clashes erupted also spread a narrative of Chinese technological superiority, according to French researchers who specialize in online disinformation. French military officials say they haven't been able to link the online Rafale-bashing directly to the Chinese government. Intelligence assessment says Chinese officials lobbied potential clients to ditch French planes But the French intelligence service said Chinese embassy defense attaches echoed the same narrative in meetings they held with security and defense officials from other countries, arguing that Indian Air Force Rafales performed poorly and promoting Chinese-made weaponry. The defense attaches focused their lobbying on countries that have ordered Rafales and other potential customer-nations that are considering purchases, the intelligence service said. It said French officials learned of the meetings from nations that were approached. Asked by AP to comment on the alleged effort to dent the Rafale's appeal, the Ministry of National Defense in Beijing said: 'The relevant claims are pure groundless rumors and slander. China has consistently maintained a prudent and responsible approach to military exports, playing a constructive role in regional and global peace and stability.' In recent years, China has stepped up disinformation campaigns on global social media platforms like X, Instagram or Facebook, using networks of state-sponsored influencers, sites that pose as news organizations, and fake social media accounts to spread narratives from Beijing. France's Defense Ministry said the Rafale was targeted by 'a vast campaign of disinformation" that 'sought to promote the superiority of alternative equipment, notably of Chinese design.' France considers the jet a 'strategic French offering' "The Rafale was not randomly targeted. It is a highly capable fighter jet, exported abroad and deployed in a high-visibility theater," the Defense Ministry wrote on its website. 'The Rafale was also targeted because it represents a strategic French offering. By attacking the aircraft, certain actors sought to undermine the credibility of France and its defense industrial and technological base. The disinformation campaign therefore did not merely target an aircraft, but more broadly a national image of strategic autonomy, industrial reliability, and solid partnerships.' Dassault Aviation has sold 533 Rafales, including 323 for export to Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Indonesia. Indonesia has ordered 42 planes and is considering buying more. China may be hoping to weaken the security relationships that France is building with Asian nations by spreading worries about the equipment it supplies, said Justin Bronk, an airpower specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank in London. 'From a point of view of limiting Western countries' influence in the Indo-Pacific, it would make sense for China to be using the performance of Pakistani weapon systems — or at least purported performance — in downing at least one Rafale as a tool to undermine its attractiveness as an export,' he said. 'They certainly saw an opportunity to damage French sales prospects in the region."
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Only Had 30 Seconds...': Pak PM's Advisor Reveals What Happened When India Fired BrahMos Missile
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advisor, Rana Sanaullah, recently admitted that Islamabad had only 30 to 45 seconds to assess whether the BrahMos cruise missile fired by India during Operation Sindoor and headed toward the Nur Khan Airbase carried a nuclear warhead. Sanaullah said that even the slightest misunderstanding or misjudgment in those critical seconds could have triggered a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. Nur Khan is a major Pakistani Air Force airbase situated in Rawalpindi's Chaklala. The airbase was among 11 such sites hit by Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor. The Indian Air Force had also struck Sargodha, Rafiqui, Jacobabad, and Murid airbases.#shehbazsharif #ranasanaullah #brahmos #operationsindoor #nurkhanairbase #nuclearwar #indiapakistan #nucleartensions #pakistanairforce #indianairforce #rawalpindi #missilecrisis #geopolitics #southasia #nuclearalert #airbases #strategicthreat #indiapakistannuclear #regionalconflict #defensealert #internationalrelations #toi #toibharat Read More
Hindustan Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Had 30 seconds to react': Pakistan PM's advisor on BrahMos missile strike on Nur Khan airbase
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advisor, Rana Sanaullah, recently admitted that Islamabad had only 30 to 45 seconds to assess whether the BrahMos cruise missile fired by India during Operation Sindoor and headed toward the Nur Khan Airbase carried a nuclear warhead. Before Rana Sanaullah, several Pakistani leaders, including PM Shehbaz Sharif himself, have admitted to the attack on Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi. (X/@RanaSanaullahPK) Sanaullah said that even the slightest misunderstanding or misjudgment in those critical seconds could have triggered a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. The Indian armed forces on May 7 launched Operation Sindoor against the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a military operation carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people, mostly civilians. ALSO READ | 19 Brahmos, Crystal Maze missiles: How India brought Pakistan to its knees during Op Sindoor Speaking to a Pakistani news channel, the Pakistani PM's adviser said, "When India fired a BrahMos missile that hit our Nur Khan airbase, Pakistan's military had just 30 or 45 seconds to analyse if the cruise missile had a nuclear warhead. And to decide anything in those 30 seconds was such a dangerous situation." "I am not saying they did good by not using a nuclear warhead. But if people on this side misunderstood the situation, it could have led to an action from Pakistan or triggered one from India. Such a situation could have sparked a global nuclear war," Sanaullah added. Nur Khan is a major Pakistani Air Force airbase situated in Rawalpindi's Chaklala. The airbase was among 11 such sites hit by Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor. The Indian Air Force had also struck Sargodha, Rafiqui, Jacobabad, and Murid airbases. ALSO READ | On May 10, Pakistan folded after brief fight India had initially struck just terrorist infrastructures, belonging to outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Lashkar-e-Taiba, during the May 7 attacks. The forces also killed over 100 terrorists in the operation. However, after Pakistan attempted to launch a retaliatory military attack, targeting the border cities, civilian and military infrastructure in India, New Delhi was prompted to deliver a massive blow with the strikes on Islamabad's airbases on the intervening night of May 9 and 10. The strike on Nur Khan airbase was also later confirmed by Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, who said that Army chief Asim Munir personally called him at 2:30 am on the night of May 9-10 to inform him about the attack. Following an intense four days of fighting, on May 10, India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding, agreeing to pause all military actions against each other with immediate effect. Earlier in June, Pakistan's deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar had admitted that Islamabad requested a ceasefire after two of their key airbases were hit by India. Dar was seen telling a news channel that Saudi Prince Faisal had called him after the attack on Pakistani airbases and asked if he could talk to Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar to convey that Islamabad was ready if India would stop the attacks. "I said yes, brother, you can. He then called me back, saying he had conveyed the same to Jaishankar," Dar added.
Memri
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Chinese Influencer Luo Xiaoqi Ah: Iran Should Lease Pakistan's Chinese-Style Air Force, Which Can Stand Toe-to-Toe Against the Israeli Air Force
On June 16, 2025, user Luo Xiaoqi Ah on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu posted a video claiming that it is no longer feasible for Iran to build a 'Chinese-style air force' because it does not have the time or money, and the best current option for Iran is to 'lease' Pakistan's 'Chinese-style air force' to safeguard its national security. He said that the Pakistani Air Force is the only air force in the Islamic world that can confront Israel's air force due to its advanced Chinese-style 'information-based combat capabilities' and 'high-end' electronic, cyber, and spectrum warfare capabilities. He also said that the Pakistani Air Force's advanced early warning aircraft and airborne radar systems give it a good chance of gaining 'the upper hand' against Israel. In addition, the narrator said that Iran can genuinely trust Pakistan due to their close cultural connections, and that Pakistan would be willing to help Iran since it has a high demand for Iran's natural resources and electrical supply. Moreover, he pointed out that Israel has supplied weapons and equipment to Pakistan's enemy India, making Israel a natural enemy for Pakistan, as well.
