The overall operational and administrative command of the PAF vests in the Chief of the Air Staff who exercises these functions through the PAF's Air Headquarters. He is assisted by a Vice Chief of Air Staff and 4 Deputy Chiefs of the Air Staff who control and administer the Administration, Operations, Maintenance and Electronics divisions of the PAF respectively.

The operational command of the PAF comprises of 4 directorates. These are the:

        Directorate of Administration
        Directorate of Operations
        Directorate of Maintenance
        Directorate of Electronics

There are also an additional 4 non-operational Directorates. These are the:

        Directorate of Air Intelligence
        Directorate of Training
        Directorate of Recruitment
        Directorate of Public Relations

Defence Command:

For the operational command and control functions of the PAF, Pakistan has been divided into 3 air defence 'districts', each under the responsibility of a Defence Command. The defence command of the PAF's 3 air defence districts include the:

        Northern Command
        Central Command
        Southern Command

These Commands are based at the major air bases at Sargodha, Malir, Masroor, Gilgit, Mauripur, Lahore, Mianwali, Peshawar, Quetta and Risalpur. They have the responsibility of monitoring and guarding Pakistani airspace, in providing support to ground, naval and paramilitary security forces and of defending the country against air attacks. Secondary missions include the provision of air transport to ground troops when needed, the co-ordination of civil and military air defence activities, and the conduct of technical training for civil aviation specialists.

Operational Command:

For the purposes of operations, the Pakistan Air Force is organized into 20 squadrons, with a total of 504 combat aircraft.

- The mainstay of the Pakistan Air Force is the F-16 multi-role fighter. Of the 40 aircraft originally acquired, 32 are in service, divided among 2 squadrons.

Other aircraft include:

Fighter/Bombers

- 8 Interceptor squadrons of 160 F-7Ps (modified MiG-21s), which form the bulk of the PAF's aircraft inventory;
- 7 Fighter/Ground Attack squadrons of 50 F-6s;
- 52 A-5Cs;
- 110 Mirage IIIs;
- 58 Mirage Vs;
- 1 Recconaisance squadron of 12 Mirage IIIRPs.

Thus constituting a total of 19 squadrons.

Trainers:

Training aircraft include:

- 11 F-16Bs;
- 20 MFI-117B "Mushaks" (4 Squadrons) (further orders for an unspecified number of MFI-395 "Super Mushaks");
- 25 FT-5s;
- 20 T-37s;
- 15 FT-7Ps;
- 2 Mirage IIIDPs;
- 20 K-8s (with a total order for 80 more aircraft).

Pakistan Air Force also flies the Aluoette III and Puma helicopters.

Transport:

For transport purposes PAF has the following:

- 2 Squadrons of 16 C-130 "Hercules" for Heavy Transport and Para-dropping;
- 1 Lockheed L-100;
- 1 F-27;
- 1 Falcon;
- 3 Boeing 707 aircraft for Light Transport and VIP duties.

Ranks in the PAF:

The commissioned ranks of the PAF in descending order of authority are comprised of the following offices:

        Air Chief Marshal (ACM)
        Vice Air Chief Marshal (VACM)
        Air Marshal (AM)
        Air Vice Marshal (AVM)
        Air Commodore (Air Cdr.)
        Group Captain (Grp. Cpt.)
        Wing Commander (Wg. Cmd.)
        Squadron Leader (Sqn. Ldr.)
        Flight Lieutenant (Flt. Lt.)
        Flying Officer (FO)

The non-commissioned cadets at the Pakistan Air Force Academy at Risalpur were called Pilot Officers. However, the PAF has now eliminated the rank of the Pilot Officer and the officers are now directly commissioned as Flying Officers.

Tactical Command:

The tactical command of the PAF is based on the following rank structure:

        A Group Captain commands a group of Wings;
        A Wing Commander commands a Wing of Squadrons; and
        A Squadron Leader commands a Squadron.

Operational Structure & Organization of the PAF:

The flying operations of the air force are carried out from a number of operational, training and maintenance air bases located all over the country. Each base is headed by a Base Commander. The respective Base Commanders are responsible to the Chief of the Air Staff for the operational readiness and combat efficiency of their bases.

Wings:

The PAF uses composite type Wings. Wings are basically a group of fighter, bomber, search-rescue and radar squadrons present at a particular base. PAF has currently 20 wings, including eight flying wings, that contain a total of 50 squadrons.

The 8 Flying Wings are:

        No. 32
        No. 33
        No. 34
        No. 35
        No. 36
        No. 37
        No. 38
        No. 39

Squadrons:

The Pakistan Air Force has operated over 40 basic types of aircraft since its formation in 1947. Today it operates a total of around 30 fighter, bomber, search-rescue, reconnaissance, transport and training squadrons.

A brief description of each is given below :

No. 1 Squadron (FCU) - Raised on April 28, 1975 and is presently equipped with FT-5 aircraft.
No. 2 Squadron - Raised on June 1, 1957 and is presently equipped with F-7P aircraft.
No. 5 Squadron - Raised on August 15, 1947 and is presently equipped with Mirage IIIEP/RP     aircraft.
No. 6 Squadron - Raised on August 15, 1947 and is presently equipped with C-130 aircraft.
No. 7 Squadron - Raised on March 1, 1960 and is presently equipped with Mirage VPA aircraft.
No. 8 Squadron - Raised on August 1, 1960 and is presently equipped with Mirage VPA3/PA2 aircraft.
No. 9 Squadron - Raised on January 3, 1944 and is presently equipped with F-16A aircraft.
No. 11 Squadron (OCU) - Raised in June, 1951 and is presently equipped with F-16 A/B aircraft.
No. 12 Squadron - Raised in March 1950 and is presently equipped with Boeing 707, Falcon, Fokker F-27 aircraft.
No. 14 Squadron - Raised in November, 1948 and is presently equipped with F-7P aircraft.
No. 15 Squadron - Raised on June 15, 1956 and is presently equipped with F-7P aircraft.
No. 16 Squadron - Raised in 1957 and is presently equipped with A-5C aircraft.
No. 17 Squadron - Raised on April 1, 1957 and is presently equipped with F-6/FT-6/F-7P aircraft.
No. 18 Squadron - Raised on February 1, 1958 and is presently equipped with F-7P aircraft.
No. 19 Squadron (OCU) - Raised on February 1, 1958 and is presently equipped with F-7P aircraft.
No. 20 Squadron - Raised in 1957 and is presently equipped with F-7P aircraft.
No. 22 Squadron (OCU) - Raised in 1984 and is presently equipped with Mirage VPA/DPA/IIIDP aircraft.
No. 23 Squadron - Raised on March 16, 1961 and is presently equipped with F-6 aircraft.
No. 24 Squadron (ESM) - Raised in December, 1962 and is presently equipped with Falcon 20 F/G aircraft.
No. 25 Squadron (OCU) - Raised in January, 1966 and is presently equipped with F-6/FT-6 aircraft.
No. 26 Squadron - Raised on August 30, 1967 and is presently equipped with A-5C aircraft.
No. 41 Squadron - Raised 1967 and is presently equipped with Cessna 172, Aero-Commander, Beach - Travel aircraft.

In addition, there are 6 Search-Rescue squadrons each equipped with 2 Alouette III helicopters and two Mirage VPA and F-7P Squadrons at the Combat Commanders School (CCS), Sargodha.

Maintenance Depots:

Maintenance Depots of the PAF consist of the following:

        No. 101 Air Logistics Depot
        No. 102 Air Maintenance Depot
        No. 103 Air Logistic Depot
        No. 104 Air Maintenance Depot
        No. 105 Air Ordnance Depot
        No. 106 Air Ordnance Depot
        No. 107 Air Electronics Depot
        No. 108 Air Electronics Depot
        No. 109 Air Ordnance Depot
        No. 111 Air Electronics Depot
        Central Technical Development Unit

Institutions:

        Pakistan Air Force Academy, Risalpur
        College of Aeronautical Engineering (CAE), Risalpur
        Flying Instructors School (FIS), Risalpur
        Combat Commanders School (CCS), Sargodha
        Transport Conversion School (TCS), Chaklala
        School of Aeronautics, Korangi Creek
        School of Electronics, Korangi Creek
        Air War College (AWC), Karachi
        Junior Command and Staff School (JCSS), Kohat
        Air Defence School (ADS), Sakesar
        Aero-Medical Institute (AMI), Karachi
        Ski & Survival School (SSS), Kalabagh
        Pre-Trade Training School (PTTS), Kohat
        Administrative Trade Training School (ATTS), Kohat
        JCO's Academy, Kohat

Operational Resources:

At the operational level, the last two decades have seen new equipment added to the PAF inventory to greatly update its combat line-up. Tactical resources are distributed amongst a total of 7 major air bases.

The number of squadrons assigned to a particular Wing vary considerably. For example, No. 39 Wing at Kamra has only two squadrons while No. 32 at Masroor has five. Some attempt at consolidation of particular aircraft types at particular bases does seem to have occurred but this is far from universal, with, for example the 4 tactical units at Masroor flying a mixed inventory which includes the A-5III/C, the F-7P and the Mirage.

Currently 20 squadrons exist, but only 12 of these are fully-fledged combat-role units. Of these 12, two have F-16s (Nos. 9 and 11 Sqn.), three have F-6s (Nos. 15, 17 and 23), four have F-7Ps (Nos. 2, 14, 18, and 19), two have A-5Cs (Nos. 16 and 26), one has Mirage IIIEPs and IIIRPs (No. 5) and one has Mirage 5PA2s and 5PA3s (No 8). The remaining eight squadrons are all concerned with training and other support roles.

Five of these squadrons are commonly referred to as Operational Conversion Units (OCUs) and their primary task is directed towards providing a steady stream of qualified aircrew to front-line squadrons. Each of the five major types in the PAF inventory is supported by an 'OCU squadron' and these units comprise No. 7 (Mirage VPAs), No. 11 (F-16), No. 19 (F-7P), No. 22 (Mirage) and No. 25 (F-6).

With only some three dozen F-16s on charge, the need for new pilots in any given year is modest and No. 11 Squadron is unlikely to find this task too taxing. As a result, it is, therefore, able to devote much of its time to operational duties and tactical training, such as annual gunnery qualification at Masroor and, on occasion, air defence alert. Conversely, No. 25 Squadron's brief is almost entirely concerned with training, for virtually all PAF pilots will begin their operational flying careers on the F-7P.

The remaining training establishments are aimed at pilots or markedly differing levels of skills. At the top end of scale, there is the elite Combat Commanders' School (CCS) which is responsible for disseminating advanced fighter tactics and doctrine. This has two subordinate units, specifically the 'Mirage Squadron' (with Mirage 5PAs) and the 'F-6 Squadron' (with F-6). Instructor staff with the CCS are generally acknowledged to be the 'best of the best' and would also have a war role to fulfil in the event of a conflict.

Finally, there is No. 1 Fighter Conversion Unit at Mianwali. This is the first stop for students fresh from the PAF Academy at Risalpur and it is here, on the Shenyang FT-5, that they begin the process of learning how to become a fighter pilot. In theory, the FT-5 can be called upon to participate in combat - it has a 23 mm gun plus a simple radar -ranging gunsight and can carry two AIM-9 Sidewinder infra-red homing air-to-air missiles - but one is inclined to think that there wouldn't be too much enthusiasm about the prospect of going to war in it.

Support Elements:

Support elements in the PAF fulfil a variety of roles. Some are designed to make a significant contribution to tactical readiness while others are engaged on tasks of secondary nature.

Quite clearly falling into the first category are the Falcon 20Fs that are flown by No. 24 Squadron at Sargodha, for these have been heavily modified on order to provide electronic warfare training support. Also in this category are a small number of Lockheed T-33As which undertake target-towing for units detached to Masroor for gunnery training as well as for the Pakistan Army and Navy. Unusually, though, these are actually assigned to No. 2 Sqn. which also operates the F-7P, necessitating the creation of separate Flights for each type. As a result, 'A' Flight has the F-7Ps while 'B' Flight looks after the 'T-Birds', its modest complement including a couple of RT-33As which are mostly employed on civil-oriented duties such as mapping and aerial survey.

Airlift resources are consolidated with No. 35 (Composite Air Transport) Wing at Chaklala, conveniently close to Air Headquarters where the Director Air Transport looks after tasking matters, As it has done for many years, the Lockheed Hercules serves as the PAF's work-horse, No. 6 (Air Transport Support) Sqn. operating a mixed fleet of C-130Bs, C-130Es and former PIA L-382B-4Cs, some of which have been in service for the best part of three decades.

As its title implies, No. 12 (VIP Communications) Sqn. is concerned mostly with moving high-ranking officials and dignitaries and its assets include the Presidential F-27 Friendship and Falcon 20 as well as a solitary King Air 200 and three Boeing 707s. The latter were also obtained from the national airline, one having a VIP interior while the other two are mainly used on long-haul cargo trips.

Transport elements are completed by No. 41 (Light Communications) Sqn. which operates single examples of the Beech Baron and Piper Seneca as well as a trio of Cessna 172s, but mention should also be made of the Transport Conversion School which provides qualified aircrew for the Hercules as and when required using aircraft 'borrowed' from No. 6 Sqn.

Finally, six Squadrons (Nos. 81 to 86) provide local search and rescue cover at the air bases at Peshawar, Sargodha, Rafiqui-Shorkot, Masroor, Samungli-Quetta and Mianwali. In each case, two Alouette IIIs are operated.