DECEMBER 2010
Photo Strike at Pathankot
1445 Hours, December 4, 1971
Painting by Group Captain (R) Hussaini
The 1971 India-Pakistan War in the West began on December 3, 1971 and Pathankot airfield, located at the junction of Punjab and Kashmir, became the lynch-pin for all crucial land and air operations. It was bombed and pinned down by the PAF Mirage aircraft during the day and by the B-57s at night. The painting shows Pathankot airfield camouflaged with nets and camouflage paint, due to which the details merged with surrounding terrain and were difficult to spot from the usual distance by an attacking pilot. Here Squadron Leader Farooq Umar is maneuvering and aligning his Mirage fighter recce aircraft to photograph this heavily defended IAF airfield after an earlier air strike by the PAF. Visible at the beginning of the runway. Clearly visible on the parallel taxi tracks are three grey patches indicating the points at which the taxi track has been freshly repaired, after PAF strikes of the previous day.
Recently added pre-delivery photo of the same PAF Mirage IIIRP (serial# 67-201) and got it signed by its 1971 Pathankot photo strike mission pilot now Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Farooq Umar.
Photo of the pilot taken during 1971 war - PAF Mirage III pilot Squadron Leader Farooq Umar interviewed by a TV crew at an air base in West Pakistan during 1971 Pak-India war.
Photo of Pathankot Air Force Station of India taken by a PAF aircraft during war.
Abbas
