PAF Base Masroor

For the pilot who the base is named after, see Masroor Hosain.

PAF Base Masroor
Logo of PAF Base Masroor
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorPakistan Air Force
LocationKarachi
Opened1940; 84 years ago (1940)
Commander Air Commodore Muhammad Umar
OccupantsNo. 2 Squadron PAF
No. 4 Squadron PAF
No. 8 Squadron PAF
No. 22 Squadron PAF
No. 84 Squadron PAF
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
Map
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 RIAF Base Mauripur (1940-47), RPAF Station Mauripur (1947-56), and after 23 March 1956, as PAF Station Mauripur.

PAF Base Faisal and PAF Base Bholari are the other Pakistan Air Force bases in Karachi.[2][3]

History

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

The airbase at Mauripur was established by the RIAF during World War II in 1942 as a transit airfield allowing RAF Drigh Road to concentrate on maintenance. Huge numbers of aircraft staged through Mauripur during and after the end of World War II.[4][5] British units continued to use the airfield after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, finally leaving in 1956.[6] The RAF airfields at Gan and Masirah took over RAF Far East Air Force staging duties from Mauripur and Habbaniya (which became unavailable from 14 July 1958 after the revolution in Iraq).[citation needed]

Historic units and aircraft

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Unit Dates Aircraft Variant Notes
No. 5 Squadron RAF 1947 Hawker Tempest F2 Single-engined (piston) fighter
No. 10 Squadron RAF 1946-1947 Douglas Dakota Twin-engined piston transport
No. 20 Squadron RAF 1947 Hawker Tempest F2
No. 31 Squadron RAF 1946 and 1947 Douglas Dakota Was 77 Sqn
No. 62 Squadron RAF 1947 Douglas Dakota
No. 77 Squadron RAF 1945-1946 Douglas Dakota Renumbered 31 Sqn
No. 117 Squadron RAF 1943 Douglas Dakota
No. 267 Squadron RAF 1945-1946 Douglas Dakota Detachments from Mingaladon
No. 298 Squadron RAF 1946 Handley Page Halifax A7 Four-engined piston heavy bomber transport conversion

Post-partition era

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After the Partition of British India, the base became RPAF Station Mauripur.[citation needed]

On 24 May 1968, PAF Station Mauripur was renamed to PAF Station Masroor in honor of base commander Masroor Hosain.[4]

On 1 July 1970, Pakistan Air Force stations were renamed to bases.[4]

Features

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Masroor airbase 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).[7]

See also

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References

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  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. ^ a b c Qadri, Azam (2014). Sentinels in the Sky: A Saga of PAF's Gallant Air Warriors. PAF Book Club.
  5. ^ SANDSCRIPT, The Journal of the RAF Mauripur Association.
  6. ^ SANDSCRIPT, The Journal of the RAF Mauripur Association.
  7. ^ Pakistan Air Force Bases (list includes PAF Base Masroor) nuke.fas.org website, Retrieved 4 October 2021
  • Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • SANDSCRIPT, The Journal of the RAF Mauripur Association. RAF Mauripur Association. 1996–2014.
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