No. 9 Squadron PAF
Encyclopedia
No. 9 Squadron, named the Griffins, is a Pakistan Air Force
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...

 fighter squadron assigned to the No. 38 Multi-Role Wing of the PAF Central Air Command. The squadron is stationed at PAF Base Mushaf, Sargodha
Sargodha
Sargodha is a city in the Sargodha District of Punjab province, Pakistan.Sargodha is located in the northwest of Pakistan. It is the eleventh largest city of Pakistan and also known as Pakistan's best citrus-producing area. It is an agricultural trade centre with various industries...

. It was the PAF's first fighter squadron, has been commanded by seven Chiefs of Air Staff
Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, abbreviated as CAS, is typically the highest ranking 4-star rank officer in the Pakistan Air Force, unless a four-star officer is appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The CAS is a senior and permanent member of the...

 of the Pakistan Air Force. The squadron crest is a red griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...

 which symbolises strength, aggressiveness and vigilance. Scrolls around the squadron crest display the battle honours Sargodha 65 and Karachi 71. The Griffins are considered as the PAF's most elite unit as well as its most senior.

History

Background

No. 9 Squadron was originally raised on 13 November 1943 at Risalpur
Risalpur
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 15 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and...

. The squadron was formed at Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...

 on 3 January 1944, equipped with the Hawker Hurricane IIC
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...

, by Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...

 A.W. Ridler of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

. During this time the squadron was commanded by then Squadron Leader Asghar Khan
Asghar Khan
Air Marshal Asghar Khan is a Pakistani 3-star rank general and politician who was the first native Air Force Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Air Force. A politician and world war II veteran fighter pilot, at the age of 36, he served as the youngest and first Pakistani head of the Pakistan Air Force...

 and deployed in Burma where it was extensively involved in World War II operations against the Japanese, later being awarded the sword of a Japanese general for its services. The squadron was also converted to the Spitfire VIII in 1945, still with then Squadron Leader M. Asghar Khan in command.

First fighter squadron of Pakistan

In July 1947, then Squadron Leader Asghar Khan was a member of the Air Force Reconstitution Committee and insisted the squadron be transferred to the Royal Pakistan Air Force (RPAF)
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...

. The squadron was thus established at Peshawar as the RPAF's first fighter squadron, equipped with eight 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 and commanded by Squadron Leader M. Ibrahim Khan. The squadron converted to the Hawker Fury
Hawker Fury
The Hawker Fury was a British biplane fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force in the 1930s. It was originally named the Hornet and was the counterpart to the Hawker Hart light bomber.-Design and development:...

 in July 1950 and moved to Kohat in November 1956. The unit is believed to have created the first aerobatics team in the sub-continent with the formation of the Red Dragons in 1957. In March 1961 the squadron converted to the F-104 Starfighter
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...

.

During the 1965 Indo-Pak War the squadron flew reconnaissance, air defence and fighter escort sorties, during which three Indian Air Force aircraft were shot down. Flight Lieutenant Aftab downed a Dassault Mystere on 6 September which was attacking targets at Rahwali, Flight Lieutenant Amjad H. Khan downed another Mystere on 7 September and Squadron Leader Jamal A. Khan shot down an English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...

 during a night-time interception.

After the 1971 Indo-Pak War started, the squadron was deployed to PAF Base Masroor and flew air defence, reconnaissance, escort and day/night strike missions. Three Indian aircraft, a Folland Gnat
Folland Gnat
The Folland Gnat was a small, swept-wing British subsonic jet trainer and light fighter aircraft developed by Folland Aircraft for the Royal Air Force, and flown extensively by the Indian Air Force....

 and Sukhoi Su-7
Sukhoi Su-7
The Sukhoi Su-7 was a swept wing, supersonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Originally, it was designed as tactical, low-level dogfighter, but was not successful in this role. On the other hand, soon-introduced Su-7B series became the main Soviet fighter-bomber and...

 of the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...

 and a Breguet Alizé
Breguet Alizé
|-See also:-References:*Michell, Simon. . Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.-External links:*...

 of the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...

, were shot down. Squadron Leader Amjad Khan ejected after being shot down during an attack on an Indian radar. Wing Commander Mervyn Middlecoat
Mervyn Middlecoat
Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat was a Pakistan Air Force fighter pilot who was involved in a number of aerial battles during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars, before being shot down on 12 December 1971. He was credited with several air-to-air kills and was one of a number of...

 and Flight Lieutenant Samad Changezi were killed after being shot down during dogfights with more modern and maneuverable MiG-21 interceptors of the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...

.

After the F-104 was retired in the early 1970s, the squadron was re-formed in January 1973 at PAF Base Rafiqui, equipped with the newly acquired Dassault Mirage 5
Dassault Mirage 5
The Dassault Mirage 5 is a supersonic attack aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1960s, and manufactured in France and a number of other countries. It was derived from Dassault's popular Mirage III fighter, and spawned several variants of its own.-Early development:The...

 with the role of Tactical Attack. This role was changed on 15 June 1977 to that of an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) and was moved again to PAF Base Masroor on 31 August 1981. Fifteen conversion courses were completed during this time. In June 1984 the unit was again moved to PAF Base Sargodha (now known as PAF Base Mushaf), re-equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

 and re-tasked as a Multi-Role squadron. After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 there were many border violations by Russian and Afghan aircraft, three of which were shot down by No. 9 Squadron pilots. Two Sukhoi Su-22 fighters were downed on 17 May 1986 by Squadron Leader Mohammed Yousaf near Parachinar
Parachinar
Parachinar is the capital of Kurram Agency, FATA of Pakistan. It is about 290 km west of the capital, Islamabad...

 and an Antonov An-26
Antonov An-26
The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...

 was downed by Squadron Leader Sikander Hayat on 30 March 1987. The Thomson-CSF ATLIS II
ATLIS II
The Thomson-CSF ATLIS II is a French laser/electro-optical targeting pod for fighter bomber and attack aircraft.ATLIS was developed starting in 1976, entering service in 1980...

 laser designator pod was installed on No. 9 Squadron's F-16s from 1987 onwards to allow them to deliver laser-guided bombs.

On 27 May 1998, No. 9 squadron was deployed at short notice to PAF Base Samungli to provide air defence for Pakistan's nuclear infrastructure.

National

  • 1960
    • 'Flight Safety' Trophy

  • 1991
    • Awards: Top Gun 1991
    • Trophies: 'Best Combat Ready Squadron', 'Combat Flying Training', 'Inter-Squadron Maintenance Efficiency'

  • 1993
    • Trophies: 'Inter-Squadron Maintenance Efficiency'

  • 1996 - five pilots and their aircraft were deployed to PAF Base Masroor on 7 October 1996 to take part in the Inter-Squadron Armament Competition (ISAC 1996).
    • Awards: 'Sher Afghan' for first place in 'Inter-Squadron Armament Competition' (ISAC 1996).
    • Trophies: 'Best Multi-Role Squadron', 'Inter-Squadron Maintenance Efficiency' and 'Best Formation' trophy after leading the Pakistan Day fly-past performance.

  • 1997
    • Awards: Top Gun 1997
    • Trophies: 'War Preparedness', 'Best Combat Ready Squadron'.

International

  • Mid Link 74 - A CENTO
    Cento
    Cento is a city and comune in the province of Ferrara, part of the region Emilia-Romagna . In Italian "cento" means 100.-History:The name Cento is a reference to the centuriation of the Po Valley...

     exercise that took place at PAF Base Masroor in 1974.

  • Anatolian Eagle 06
    Anatolian Eagle
    Anatolian Eagle is an air force exercise hosted by the Turkish Air Force and held in Konya, Turkey. There are both national and international exercises held, the international exercises usually involving air arms of the USA, other NATO forces and Asian countries.-History:With modernisation of...

    - In June 2006 a PAF contingent of F-16s from No. 9 Squadron was deployed to Konya Airbase
    Konya Airport
    Konya Airport is a military airbase and public airport in Konya, Turkey. The airport is also used by NATO. Opened to the public in 2000, the airport is 18 km from the city. In 2006, Konya Airport served 2,924 aircraft and 262,561 passengers...

     in Turkey to take part in the Anatolian Eagle 2006 exercise.

  • Red Flag 2010-4 - In mid-2010 the PAF sent six F-16B fighters and 100 personnel of No. 9 Squadron to Nellis Air Force Base
    Nellis Air Force Base
    Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...

     in the United States, a journey that took six days and four stops, to take part in the Red Flag 2010-4 and Green Flag 2010-9 exercises. During the 12 days of the exercise, 57 air interdiction missions were flown by the PAF fighters and 50 air-to-air refuelling hook-ups were made with U.S.A.F. tankers, during which 50 303 kg of jet fuel was transferred.

  • Green Flag 2010-9

! style="text-align: middle; background: white;" colspan="4" | No. 9 Squadron Griffins
|-
! style="text-align: left; background: lavender;" width="130" | 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"
|
| 1944—1947
| Hawker Hurricane IIC
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...


|
|-
|
| 1947—1950
| Hawker Tempest II
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....


|
|-
|
| 1950—1961
| Hawker Fury FB.60
Hawker Fury
The Hawker Fury was a British biplane fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force in the 1930s. It was originally named the Hornet and was the counterpart to the Hawker Hart light bomber.-Design and development:...


|
|-
|
| 1961—~1971
| F-104A Starfighter
|
|-
| Tactical Attack
| 1973—1977
| Dassault Mirage 5PA
Dassault Mirage 5
The Dassault Mirage 5 is a supersonic attack aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1960s, and manufactured in France and a number of other countries. It was derived from Dassault's popular Mirage III fighter, and spawned several variants of its own.-Early development:The...


|
|-
| Operational Conversion Unit (OCU)
| 1977—1984
| Dassault Mirage 5PA
Dassault Mirage 5
The Dassault Mirage 5 is a supersonic attack aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1960s, and manufactured in France and a number of other countries. It was derived from Dassault's popular Mirage III fighter, and spawned several variants of its own.-Early development:The...


|
|-
| Multi-Role
| 1984—present
| F-16 Fighting Falcon 
F-16A/B Block 15
| Second unit to be equipped with the F-16. Credited with 3 kills: two Su-22 on 17 May 1986 by Squadron Leader Mohammed Yousaf and an An-26 on 30 March 1987 by Squadron Leader Sikander Hayat. Equipped with the ATLIS II
ATLIS II
The Thomson-CSF ATLIS II is a French laser/electro-optical targeting pod for fighter bomber and attack aircraft.ATLIS was developed starting in 1976, entering service in 1980...

 targeting pod in 1987 for ground attack role. Commanded by Wg. Cmd. Aamir Masood in 2006, who is now flying Sukhoi Su-30MKK
Sukhoi Su-30MKK
The Sukhoi Su-30MKK is a modification of the Su-27 SK manufactured since 1999 by KnAAPO and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. It is considered an upgraded version of Sukhoi Su-30. It was jointly developed by Russia and China, similar to the Su-30MKI. It is a heavy class, all-weather, long-range...

 with the Chinese Navy (PLAN)
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...

.

External Links

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