No. 6 Squadron PAF
Encyclopedia
The No. 6 Squadron, named the Antelopes, is a transport squadron of the Pakistan Air Force
..
, Karachi. While it was formed without any aircraft or equipment on its charge, its first Commanding officer
was Flight-Lieutenant
(Captain) M. J. Khan. On 16 August 1947, Air Officer Commanding
Air Vice Marshal visited the squadron and commissioned the squadron for heavy airlifting and airborne operations. The PAF acquired Douglas DC-3
or Dakota 22 October 1947. It was flown by the Flight Lieutenant A.K.S Ahmad. Meanwhile, the squadron acquired Bristol Freighter
, Tiger Moth
, and Auster aircraft
. On 29 June 1948, a detachment
of the squadron presented a guard of honour
at Mauripur to the Governor-General
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
on his arrival from Quetta
. On 9 September 1948, three Dakota aircraft did the fly past at the Quaid-e-Azam's funeral ceremony.
No. 6 Squadron had been a Royal Indian Air Force unit until 14 August 1947, the date of Pakistan's independence, when it was transferred to the Royal Pakistan Air Force (RPAF). The squadron was stationed at Peshawar and had inherited one serviceable Douglas Dakota from the RIAF, alogn with 2 pilots, 3 navigators and 3 signalers. A three phase program was initiated by the RPAF to increase the numbers of personnel and equipment and, by the end of the first phase on 31 March 1948, a total of 8 Dakota transports were in service. The squadron strength was brought up to 20 Dakota transports over the next 12 months. During this period, regular supply drops in Azad Kashmir were carried out by the unit for troops and villages that had been cut off by snow. Dakota pilots had to fly between the region's mountains because their fully loaded aircraft had a ceiling of around 10,000 ft while the surrounding mountain peaks were 16,000 ft to 20,000 ft high. In November 1948 the squadron dropped 40,000 kg of supplies while operating from Risalpur and Peshawar. On 4 November 1948 a Dakota was attacked by two Hawker Tempest
fighters of the Indian Air Force but Flying Officer Mukhtar Dogar managed to evade the fighters. On February 22, 1949, the Globe Trotter's Dakota performed the first landing at Gilgit
; in the following month was made a landing at Skardu
.
The RPAF purchased a large number of Bristol Freighter
transports in early 1950 for the No. 6 Squadron. The Freighter's fuel capacity meant that longer transport and communication sorties could be flown by the squadron. Some of the Freighters were modified in 1955 for carrying a 1,800 kg "block-buster" bomb under each wing and limited training in night bombing was done. Similar operations occurred later with the C-130 Hercules
. Freighters would be used in varying climate and geographical conditions such as the snowbound mountains in Kashmir, the southern Punjab deserts and East Pakistan's tropical forests. The 1952 floods lead to the unit being deployed for large scale food supply drops and the squadron was later awarded for this on 17 August 1952 by the Governor of the Punjab. 'Operation Snow Drop' began in 15 November 1953 and involved dropping supplies in Pakistan's Northern Areas from PAF Base Chaklala
. From 15 to 30 November 1953 the Antelopes flew 780 hours and dropped 363,000 kg of supplies. The Bristol Freighter
began to be replaced in 1963 with the delivery of four C-130B models of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules
transports. The C-130B Hercules enabled the squadron to fly over the Karakoram mountain ranges rather than flying between the mountains, improving flight safety.
In the 1965 Indo-Pak War the Antelopes dropped para commandos into Indian territory in a night-time mission involving three C-130B transports.
Just before the 1965 war started, the squadron's commanding officer Wing Commander
(Lieutenant-Colonel) Eric Gordan Hall had the idea to make up for the PAF's deficiency in heavy bombers by modifying the Hercules to carry bombs. The Hercules was converted to carry 10,000 kg of bombs, rolled out on pallets from the rear ramp, and over 21 night-time bombing raids were flown against Indian forces approaching for the battles of Chawinda and Pulkanjari. Support missions for troops in the Northern Areas were continued after the war.
With the unstable political situation at the end of 1970 and the resulting civil unrest, the Antelopes moved a large number of troops to East Pakistan and assisted in flood relief operations there. India stopped the PAF flying over its territory in 1971 and the Antelopes had to fly to East Pakistan via Sri Lanka. Two of the unit's C-130 transports were deployed to Dhaka from March 71 until the 1971 Indo-Pak War began in December 1971. They were used to evacuate soldiers and civilians from hostile areas of East Pakistan, in one sortie the aircraft flown by Wing Cmdr Munim A. Khan and his crew evacuated 365 people from Sylhet to Dhaka. During the war which began on 3 December 1971, No. 6 Squadron flew bombing missions from West Pakistan in the same manner as those flown during the 1961 war and no transport aircraft were lost during these sorties. During one such mission Group Captain Mir Alam damaged the Jaisalmer technical complex of the Indian Air Force and his crew was awarded for their efforts.
The squadron was regularly involved in the 'Exercise Nejat', a series of CENTO exercises held at PAF Base Masroor, Rezayiah in Iran, Turkey and England.
and Navy
dispatched commandos belonging to SSG(N)
, SSG Division, and the 50th Airborne Division.
The aircraft landed under very hostile conditions and the crew still managed to evacuate the personnel within half an hour. In 2009, the Globe Trotters performed hundreds of airborne mission, including the operations commenced by the Pakistan Army. The Globe trotters parachuted hundreds of Pakistan's paratroopers in the Swat Valley and took participation in South-Waziristan operations. During the Operation Black Thunderstorm
, Operation Rah e Raast and the Operation Rah-e-Nijat
, the Globe Trotters parachuted thousands of Pakistan Armed Forces personnel and continuously flown the aircraft day and night.
! style="text-align: middle; background: white;" colspan="4" | No. 6 Squadron
Antelopes
|-
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width="160" | Role
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width=" " | Operational
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width="180" | Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width=" " | Notes
|-valign="top"
|Transport
| 1947—1950
| C-47
|
|-
|Transport
| 1950—1963
| Bristol Freighter
|
|-
|Transport
| 1963—Present
| C-130 Hercules
|
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
..
History
The squadron was formed on August 14, 1947 at MaripurMaripur
Maripur or Mauripur is one of the neighbourhoods of Kiamari Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.There are several ethnic groups in Maripur including Muhajirs, Punjabis, Sindhis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Memons, Bohras, Ismailis, etc. Over 99% of the population is Muslim...
, Karachi. While it was formed without any aircraft or equipment on its charge, its first Commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
was Flight-Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
(Captain) M. J. Khan. On 16 August 1947, Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
Air Vice Marshal visited the squadron and commissioned the squadron for heavy airlifting and airborne operations. The PAF acquired Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
or Dakota 22 October 1947. It was flown by the Flight Lieutenant A.K.S Ahmad. Meanwhile, the squadron acquired Bristol Freighter
Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
, Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
, and Auster aircraft
Auster AOP.9
-See also:-Bibliography:...
. On 29 June 1948, a detachment
Detachment (military)
A detachment is a military unit. It can either be detached from a larger unit for a specific function or be a permanent unit smaller than a battalion. The term is often used to refer to a unit that is assigned to a different base from the parent unit...
of the squadron presented a guard of honour
Guard of honour
A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...
at Mauripur to the Governor-General
Governor-General of Pakistan
The Governor-General of Pakistan was the representative in Pakistan of the Crown from the country's independence in 1947. When Pakistan was proclaimed a republic in 1956 the connection with the British monarchy ended, and the office of Governor-General was abolished.-History:Pakistan gained...
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
on his arrival from Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
. On 9 September 1948, three Dakota aircraft did the fly past at the Quaid-e-Azam's funeral ceremony.
No. 6 Squadron had been a Royal Indian Air Force unit until 14 August 1947, the date of Pakistan's independence, when it was transferred to the Royal Pakistan Air Force (RPAF). The squadron was stationed at Peshawar and had inherited one serviceable Douglas Dakota from the RIAF, alogn with 2 pilots, 3 navigators and 3 signalers. A three phase program was initiated by the RPAF to increase the numbers of personnel and equipment and, by the end of the first phase on 31 March 1948, a total of 8 Dakota transports were in service. The squadron strength was brought up to 20 Dakota transports over the next 12 months. During this period, regular supply drops in Azad Kashmir were carried out by the unit for troops and villages that had been cut off by snow. Dakota pilots had to fly between the region's mountains because their fully loaded aircraft had a ceiling of around 10,000 ft while the surrounding mountain peaks were 16,000 ft to 20,000 ft high. In November 1948 the squadron dropped 40,000 kg of supplies while operating from Risalpur and Peshawar. On 4 November 1948 a Dakota was attacked by two Hawker Tempest
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
fighters of the Indian Air Force but Flying Officer Mukhtar Dogar managed to evade the fighters. On February 22, 1949, the Globe Trotter's Dakota performed the first landing at Gilgit
Gilgit Airport
Gilgit Airport is a small domestic airport situated 1.25 nm east of Gilgit, a city in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The city of Gilgit is one of the two major hubs for all mountaineering expeditions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan...
; in the following month was made a landing at Skardu
Skardu Airport
Skardu Airport is a small domestic airport, located at Skardu, Northern Areas, Pakistan. Skardu is one of the two major hubs of all trekking expeditions in the Northern Areas, a region that includes four of the fourteen Eight-thousander peaks of the world...
.
The RPAF purchased a large number of Bristol Freighter
Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
transports in early 1950 for the No. 6 Squadron. The Freighter's fuel capacity meant that longer transport and communication sorties could be flown by the squadron. Some of the Freighters were modified in 1955 for carrying a 1,800 kg "block-buster" bomb under each wing and limited training in night bombing was done. Similar operations occurred later with the C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
. Freighters would be used in varying climate and geographical conditions such as the snowbound mountains in Kashmir, the southern Punjab deserts and East Pakistan's tropical forests. The 1952 floods lead to the unit being deployed for large scale food supply drops and the squadron was later awarded for this on 17 August 1952 by the Governor of the Punjab. 'Operation Snow Drop' began in 15 November 1953 and involved dropping supplies in Pakistan's Northern Areas from PAF Base Chaklala
PAF Base Chaklala
PAF Base Chaklala is an active Pakistan Air Force airbase located in Chaklala Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan. It also forms part of Islamabad International Airport.-History:The base was originally operated by the Royal Air Force as R.A.F...
. From 15 to 30 November 1953 the Antelopes flew 780 hours and dropped 363,000 kg of supplies. The Bristol Freighter
Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
began to be replaced in 1963 with the delivery of four C-130B models of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
transports. The C-130B Hercules enabled the squadron to fly over the Karakoram mountain ranges rather than flying between the mountains, improving flight safety.
In the 1965 Indo-Pak War the Antelopes dropped para commandos into Indian territory in a night-time mission involving three C-130B transports.
Just before the 1965 war started, the squadron's commanding officer Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
(Lieutenant-Colonel) Eric Gordan Hall had the idea to make up for the PAF's deficiency in heavy bombers by modifying the Hercules to carry bombs. The Hercules was converted to carry 10,000 kg of bombs, rolled out on pallets from the rear ramp, and over 21 night-time bombing raids were flown against Indian forces approaching for the battles of Chawinda and Pulkanjari. Support missions for troops in the Northern Areas were continued after the war.
With the unstable political situation at the end of 1970 and the resulting civil unrest, the Antelopes moved a large number of troops to East Pakistan and assisted in flood relief operations there. India stopped the PAF flying over its territory in 1971 and the Antelopes had to fly to East Pakistan via Sri Lanka. Two of the unit's C-130 transports were deployed to Dhaka from March 71 until the 1971 Indo-Pak War began in December 1971. They were used to evacuate soldiers and civilians from hostile areas of East Pakistan, in one sortie the aircraft flown by Wing Cmdr Munim A. Khan and his crew evacuated 365 people from Sylhet to Dhaka. During the war which began on 3 December 1971, No. 6 Squadron flew bombing missions from West Pakistan in the same manner as those flown during the 1961 war and no transport aircraft were lost during these sorties. During one such mission Group Captain Mir Alam damaged the Jaisalmer technical complex of the Indian Air Force and his crew was awarded for their efforts.
The squadron was regularly involved in the 'Exercise Nejat', a series of CENTO exercises held at PAF Base Masroor, Rezayiah in Iran, Turkey and England.
Modern era
The bomber squadron saw the aerial action during the Pakistan war in Afghanistan. In September 1995, Afghan insurgents had attacked the Pakistan Embassy. The embassy was destroyed and left one killed while dozens were injured including the Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan. On 7 September 1995, a C-130 aircraft with Group Captain Hassan Nayyar as Mission Commander was sent to Kabul for the recovery and evaluation of the embassy staff. The ArmyPakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
and Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
dispatched commandos belonging to SSG(N)
Special Service Group Navy
The Special Service Group Navy, codename SSG, are the Pakistan Navy's elite principal special operations naval force component. Together with the PAF 312th SS Wing, Special Service Group, Pakistan Marines, and Rangers, they form Pakistan Special Operations Command under the joint administrative...
, SSG Division, and the 50th Airborne Division.
The aircraft landed under very hostile conditions and the crew still managed to evacuate the personnel within half an hour. In 2009, the Globe Trotters performed hundreds of airborne mission, including the operations commenced by the Pakistan Army. The Globe trotters parachuted hundreds of Pakistan's paratroopers in the Swat Valley and took participation in South-Waziristan operations. During the Operation Black Thunderstorm
Operation Black Thunderstorm
Operation Black Thunderstorm was an aggressive military operation that commenced on April 26, 2009 conducted by the Pakistan Army, with the aim of retaking Buner, Lower Dir, Swat and Shangla districts from the Taliban after the militants took control of them since the start of the year.- Background...
, Operation Rah e Raast and the Operation Rah-e-Nijat
Operation Rah-e-Nijat
The Operation Rah-e-Nijat was a Pakistani military operation against the Taliban and other Islamist rebels in the South Waziristan area of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas that began on June 19, 2009; a major ground offensive was subsequently launched on October 17...
, the Globe Trotters parachuted thousands of Pakistan Armed Forces personnel and continuously flown the aircraft day and night.
1998 Chagai Tests
On May 1998, the Globe Trotters flown the 5-6 nuclear devices which were in CKD sub-assembly form, from Rawalpindi to Chagai. The C-130 aircraft was given an escort by 4 F-16 Falcon jets of Arrows— the fighter squadron of PAF. The mission was carried out in extreme secrecy, and the security of Globe Trotters was extremely strict. The fighter pilots of Arrows were secretly given standing order that in the unlikely event of the C-130 being hijacked or flown outside of Pakistani airspace, they were to shoot down the aircraft before it left Pakistan’s airspace. The radio communications equipment turned off, and they were instructed to ignore any orders to the contrary that got through to them during the duration of the flight even if such orders originated from Air Headquarters.! style="text-align: middle; background: white;" colspan="4" | No. 6 Squadron
Antelopes
|-
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width="160" | Role
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width=" " | Operational
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width="180" | Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width=" " | Notes
|-valign="top"
|Transport
| 1947—1950
| C-47
|
|-
|Transport
| 1950—1963
| Bristol Freighter
Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
|
|-
|Transport
| 1963—Present
| C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
|