Rows of cobalt-lit screens flickered like an electronic horizon as Pakistan Air Force opened doors that normally stay bolted for outsiders. Over one tightly choreographed day, a small press pool was steered through the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park in Rawalpindi, the corridors of PAF Air Headquarters, and the Cyber Command center inside Islamabad’s military district. The exercise was more than a guided tour. By offering a curated look at command posts and data-fusion suites seldom seen by outsiders, PAF aimed to be seen as technologically advanced, strategically mature, and capable of defending itself in a fast-moving regional theater.
Inside Air Headquarters, reporters entered operations rooms whose walls form a single wrap-around display. Live radar sweeps glowed lime green, satellite imagery refreshed every few seconds, and coded call signs drifted across a map of South Asia. It was here, briefers said, that Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu personally directed May’s air battle with India. The full war orbit map was displayed, enabling him to make immediate decisions about airstrikes, targeting, and operational adjustments in real time. A senior air commodore tapped a console and replayed the clash in granular detail. Icons for Pakistani F-16s, Chinese-built J-10Cs, JF-17 Block IIIs, and Indian Rafales traced looping arcs over the Line of Control. Pausing the feed, the officer explained how the Air Chief vectored patrols northward to lure Indian fighters into a predefined Kill Box, then sanctioned precise strikes before disengaging.
Officials said that as soon as India’s war intent was detected, PAF proactively targeted Rafale jets. Air Chief Sidhu had specifically directed that the Rafales and the S-400 air defense system be treated as top-priority targets. While there were conflicting reports about the exact location of the S-400, officials confirmed it was at Adampur and successfully targeted. India’s retaliatory strike aimed for an HQ-9 air defense system at Nur Khan Airbase, which had already been moved, frustrating their effort.
Since taking command in March 2021, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu has earned a reputation as both designer and disciplinarian. Officers describe his leadership as combining strict aesthetic discipline with relentless data integration. Floors gleam, cables are hidden, and even fonts follow templates. While some initially questioned his approach, officers now cite two years of uninterrupted upgrades and the India clash as a validation of his leadership.
NASTP, the centerpiece of PAF’s modernization, sits beside Nur Khan Air Base and resembles a tech campus more than a military site. Glass bridges link labs working on quantum-resistant encryption, additive manufacturing, and drone tech. Engineers unveiled two unmanned aircraft during the tour—a Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and a locally built Shahpar-III with an AI-driven targeting suite. Officials said both can loiter and flag threats autonomously, pending human approval.
At Cyber Command in Islamabad, officers emphasized digital disruption as a complement to air superiority. Young analysts tracked social media, data packets, and OSINT. During the May clash, teams spoofed navigation signals, disrupted routers, and interfered with India’s national energy grid. Independent verification remains limited, but officials assert these digital operations were synchronized with aerial strikes.
Doctrine was emphasized as the strategic edge. Dubbed “seamless warfighting,” it integrates drones, pilots, air defense, and cyber units under one operational vision. Conceived early in Sidhu’s tenure, it stresses fast, proportional response with an exit ramp. This meant pinprick attacks rather than deep raids in May’s battle. While India has not confirmed damage to its Rafales or the S-400 battery, Pakistan claimed it downed six Indian jets, including three Rafales and an Israeli-built Heron UAV.
Officers acknowledged both sides showed restraint. “The Indians didn’t want a war of attrition—and neither did we,” one said. They maintained that Sidhu’s aggressive planning and tech-driven doctrine gave PAF the advantage. Though China supplied key systems, Pakistani officers emphasized their own role in integrating and customizing the tech. One officer joked Beijing should offer a “bulk discount” after the recent battle served as live-fire marketing for Chinese avionics. Each time local engineers rewrite foreign code to fit PAF doctrine, they said, dependence decreases.
The disclosures appeared aimed at both domestic reassurance and regional signaling. For those inside command rooms lit in synthetic starlight, PAF officials seemed convinced they remain a step ahead.
Source: The Nation
