In 1947, when the British left India, the Islamic State of Pakistan was born and with it, its air force. Although the history of the nation has been one of political turmoil, the air force has quietly established a formidable reputation on the world's military aviation scene. From the chaos of partition from India, PAF inherited a portion of what was leftover from the RAF in India. But within a short period of time the Phoenix truly rose from the ashes. Within a decade, and in total contrast to the development of its state, the PAF established it self as one of most efficient and most potent fighting forces in the world. With the help of British, Chinese, Americans and later the French, Pakistan rapidly developed its air force and by 1960 was regarded as amongst the best. It surprised many people , when it became the first air force outside NATO to fly the Starfighter F-104, the most advanced jet fighter of its time. With their dedication and total commitment, from the commander in chief to the ground crew, the air force rapidly made a name for itself on the international aviation scene. The war with India in 1965 presented not only a challenge but also a test of its much-praised abilities. It took on an adversary five times larger. What followed for the next fortnight is now aviation history. Many stories and books have been written about the scintillating performance of PAF pilots during that conflict but non-so comprehensive than the one by British Pilot author John Fricker. In his well-illustrated book "Battle for Pakistan", he has recorded what must be one of the most astonishing air victories of modern air warfare.
Due to some complex political and tight economic reasons, PAF has acquired aircraft from all five superpowers over the past 50 years. Its British inheritance was Tempests, Furies and Wapitis to be joined by Attackers and Halifaxes in the shape of further acquisitions from the UK. Then, in the 50s, the Americans needed a strong Pakistan for its bulwark against the Soviet communism. Almost overnight the PAF was transformed with the arrival of a large number of F-86 Sabers, B-57 bombers, T-38 trainers and Americas top jetfighter at the time the F-104 starfighters. After the 1965 war between India and Pakistan, Americans "stopped talking" to Pakistan to appease India, which they regarded as a pawn against China. Pakistan turned to China (Mig-17 trainers and Mig-19 fighters) for quantity and to the French (Mirage 3 fighter-bombers) for Quality. During the seventies, and in the face of the American "betrayal and desertion", PAF relied upon France and China for its aircraft acquisitions. 1971 war is widely regarded as a defeat for Pakistan - in fact it was no better or worse than 1965 war as far as the 'mainland' Pakistan was concerned. Defeat in East Pakistan was a result of Bengali rebellion, which turned into a bloody civil war. Result was what you could expect for an army which is trying to contain a civil war internally and is attacked from outside. Much can be said about this topic, but there is a simple fact which is enough to conclude this matter - If Indian armed forces could defeat Pakistan on their military might alone, they would have over ran Mainland Pakistan in either of the conflicts. IAF tried to use Pak Army's failure in the East as a propaganda vehicle to launch a campaign to show as if it had avenged its defeat of 1965. Those who know their aviation history, such as Gen Chuck Yeager, who spent the war collecting and cataloguing wreckage of Indian aircraft shot down by the PAF would tell you otherwise. British aviation writer, John Fricker, compiled a post mortem of the 71 air war for the world renowned aviation journal Air International. These neutral investigators concluded a clear victory for the PAF.
When the Russian invaded Afghanistan, the American suddenly declared Pakistan to be an ally and friend again. As a result, the PAF was soon flying America's most advanced jetfighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The aircraft was used to good effect against the Russian incursions. One of the scalps, collected by PAF in 1988, was no other than a certain colonel Rutskoi later to become Major General and then vice president of Russia and a prominent figure at the revolt against president Yeltsin. PAF fought an undeclared war with the Russian air force in Afghanistan for the ten years. With the Russian defeated in Afghanistan, and the Soviet Empire crumbling, the American almost customarily abandoned Pakistan again accusing it to be possessing nuclear weapons. It didn't bother them during the ten years that Pakistan stood against the Russians in Afghanistan and it was during those ten years that Pakistan put its nuclear jigsaw together. Now PAF is not only left with the American equipment without spares it has been denied a further supply of F-16 already paid for by the Pakistani government. This blatant abuse of power and arrogance has become a symbol of American injustice and this superpower's habit of courting countries in time of need and dumping them afterwards. Now PAF is looking elsewhere for its next generation fighter aircraft. French Mirage 2000 and Russian Flankers are amongst those being evaluated and rejected for one reason or the other. China now seems to be the source of its next generation fighter aircraft.