View source for PAF Base Masroor

{{for|the pilot who the base is named after|Masroor Hosain}}
{{short description|Military airport in Pakistan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = PAF Base Masroor
| ensign = Air Force Ensign of Pakistan.svg
| ensign_size = 100px
| native_name = 
| partof = <!-- for elements within a larger site -->
| location = [[Karachi]], [[Sindh]]
| country = Pakistan
| image = [[File:PAF Masroor.jpg|250px]]
| caption = 
| image2 = <!--secondary image, major command emblems for airfields -->
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = 
| type = [[Air base|Military airbase]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|24|53|37|N|66|56|20|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| gridref = 
| pushpin_map = Karachi#Pakistan#Asia
| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Karachi
| pushpin_label = PAF Base Masroor
| pushpin_label_position = 
| ownership = [[Ministry of Defense (Pakistan)|Ministry of Defense]]
| operator = [[Pakistan Air Force]]
| controlledby = Southern Air Command
| open_to_public = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc -->
| site_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| site_other = Tactical Air Support School
| site_area = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc -->
| code = <!--facility/installation code -->
| built = {{Start date|1940}}
| used = 1940 - present
| builder = 
| fate = 
| condition = 
| battles = [[World War II]]
| events = 
| current_commander = [[File:Pak-air-force-OF-6.svg|15px]] [[File:US-O7_insignia.svg|20px]] [[Air Commodore]] Omair Najmi
| past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
| garrison = <!-- such as the 25th Bombardment Group -->
| occupants = [[No. 2 Squadron PAF]]<br>[[No. 8 Squadron PAF]]<br>No. 84 Squadron PAF
| designations = 
| website = [http://www.paf.gov.pk/ Pakistan Air Force]
| footnotes = <!-- catchall in case it's needed to preserve something in infobox -->
<!-- begin airfield information  -->
| IATA = MSR
| ICAO = OPMR
| LID = 
| GPS = 
| WMO = 
| elevation = {{Convert|11|m|0}} 
| r1-number = 04/22
| r1-length = <!-- {{Convert|2628|m|0}} -->
| r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
| r2-number = 09/27
| r2-length = <!-- {{Convert|2750|m|0}} -->
| r2-surface = [[Concrete]]
| r3-number = 
| r3-length = <!-- {{Convert||m|0}} -->
| r3-surface = 
| h1-number = 
| h1-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| h1-surface = 
| airfield_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| airfield_other = 
<!--  end airfield information   -->
}}

'''Pakistan Air Force Base Masroor''' or more simply '''PAF Base Masroor''' {{Airport codes||OPMR}} is the largest airbase operated by the [[Pakistan Air Force]]. It is located in the [[Mauripur]] area of [[Karachi]], in the [[Sindh]] province.<ref name=Dawn>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1431344 |title=Defence Day celebrated in city with great zeal|author=Shazia Hasan|date=7 September 2018|newspaper=Dawn (newspaper)|access-date=4 October 2021}}</ref>
 
The base was originally known as RIAF Base Mauripur (1940-47), '''RPAF Station Mauripur''' (1947-56), and after 23 March 1956, as '''PAF Station Mauripur'''.

[[PAF Base Faisal]] and [[PAF Base Bholari]] are the other [[Pakistan Air Force]] bases in Karachi.<ref>[https://www.geo.tv/latest/173828-blaze-erupts-at-mill-in-karachis-nazimabad-vicinity PAF inaugurates new operational air base at Bholari near Karachi]</ref><ref>[https://nation.com.pk/10-Dec-2015/khawaja-asif-lays-foundation-stone-of-paf-bholari-base-in-jamshoro Khawaja Asif lays foundation stone of PAF Bholari base in Jamshoro]</ref>

==History==
[[File:Pakistani F-86 Sabres.jpg|thumb|PAF F-86 Sabres lined up during a ceremony at Masrur]]
The airbase at Mauripur was established by the [[RIAF]] during [[World War II]] in 1942 as a transit airfield allowing [[RAF Drigh Road]] to concentrate on maintenance. Huge numbers of aircraft staged through Mauripur during and after the end of World War II.<ref name="Sentinels">{{cite book|title=Sentinels in the Sky: A Saga of PAF's Gallant Air Warriors|last=Qadri|first=Azam|year=2014|publisher=PAF Book Club}}</ref><ref>''SANDSCRIPT'', The Journal of the RAF Mauripur Association.{{page needed|date=May 2025}}</ref> British units continued to use the airfield after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, finally leaving in 1956.<ref>''SANDSCRIPT'', The Journal of the RAF Mauripur Association.{{page needed|date=May 2025}}</ref> The RAF airfields at [[RAF Gan|Gan]] and [[RAF Masirah|Masirah]] took over [[RAF Far East Air Force]] staging duties from Mauripur and [[RAF Habbaniya|Habbaniya]] (which became unavailable from 14 July 1958 after the [[14 July Revolution|revolution]] in [[Iraq]]).{{fact|date=November 2024}}

=== Historic units and aircraft ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Unit
!Dates
!Aircraft
!Variant
!Notes
|-
|[[No. 5 Squadron RAF]]
|1947
|[[Hawker Tempest]]
|F.2
|Single-engined (piston) fighter{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=28}}
|-
|[[No. 10 Squadron RAF]]
|1946-1947
|[[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|Douglas Dakota]]
|
|Twin-engined piston transport{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=30}}
|-
|[[No. 20 Squadron RAF]]
|1947
|[[Hawker Tempest]]
|F.2
|{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=34}}
|-
|[[No. 31 Squadron RAF]]
|1946 and 1947
|Douglas Dakota
|
|Was 77 Sqn{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=38}}
|-
|[[No. 62 Squadron RAF]]
|1947
|Douglas Dakota
|
|{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=47}}
|-
|[[No. 77 Squadron RAF]]
|1945-1946
|Douglas Dakota
|
|Renumbered 31 Sqn{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=51}}
|-
|[[No. 117 Squadron RAF]]
|1943
|Douglas Dakota
|
|{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=60}}
|-
|[[No. 267 Squadron RAF]]
|1945-1946
|Douglas Dakota
|
|Detachments from Mingaladon{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=83}}
|-
|[[No. 298 Squadron RAF]]
|1946
|[[Handley Page Halifax]]
|A.7
|Four-engined piston heavy bomber transport conversion{{sfn|Jefford|2001|p=86}}
|}

=== Post-partition era ===
After the [[Partition of British India]], the base became [[RPAF]] Station Mauripur.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

On 24 May 1968, PAF Station Mauripur was renamed to '''PAF Station Masroor''' in honor of base commander [[Masroor Hosain]].<ref name="Sentinels" />

During 1979 the base was home to [[No. 7 Squadron PAF|7 Squadron]] with the [[Martin B-57 Canberra|Martin B-57B Canberra]].{{sfn|Hewish|Sweetman|Wheeler|Gunston|1984|p=195}}

On 1 July 1970, [[Pakistan Air Force]] stations were renamed to bases.<ref name="Sentinels"/>

==Features==
Masroor airbase has the distinction of not only being the largest base, area wise, in Pakistan but also in Asia. Before [[Karachi Airport]], this airport had been used for domestic flights and also by [[Quaid-e-Azam]] [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]], the founder of Pakistan. It is of immense strategic importance considering it has been entrusted upon the task of defending the coastal and Southern region of Pakistan. It houses the 32 Tactical Attack (TA) Wing which comprises six separate squadrons. squadrons include
No 2 MR squadron operating JF-17 Block 2s, No 4 AWACS Squadron operating Karakoram Eagle AWACS, No 7 TA Squadron operating Mirage 3 ROSE 1, No 8 TA Squadron operating Mirage 5PA2/3, No 22 OCU operating Mirage 3EL/D and No 84 CSS operating AW-139 Seahawk CSAR helicopters.
Base is also home to College of Aviation safety management and Tactical Air Support school (TASS).<ref>[https://nuke.fas.org/guide/pakistan/facility/airbase/index.html Pakistan Air Force Bases (list includes PAF Base Masroor)] nuke.fas.org website, Retrieved 4 October 2021</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Pakistan Air Force Bases]]
* [[List of airports in Pakistan]]
* [[Masroor Colony]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

* {{cite book |last1=Hewish|first1=Mark|last2=Sweetman|first2=Bill|last3=Wheeler|first3=Barry C.|last4=Gunston|first4=Bill|title=Air Forces of the World|year=1984|edition=2 |publisher=Peerage Books|location=[[London]], UK|isbn=978-0907408932}}
*{{cite book |last1=Jefford |first1=C.&nbsp;G. |title= RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 |year=2001 |edition=2nd |publisher= Airlife Publishing |location= [[Shrewsbury]], UK |isbn= 1-84037-141-2 }}
* {{cite book |title=SANDSCRIPT, The Journal of the RAF Mauripur Association |date=1996{{ndash}}2014 |publisher=RAF Mauripur Association}}

==External links==
*[https://www.paf.gov.pk/#/ Pakistan Air Force (PAF) official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081010125143/http://rafmauripur.org.uk/ RAF Mauripur Association Website]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/36/a4282436.shtml The strike at R.A.F Mauripur]

{{Air Bases of Pakistan Air Force}}
{{Active Pakistan Air Force bases}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Pakistan Air Force bases|Masroor]]
[[Category:Airports in Karachi]]
[[Category:Military installations in Karachi]]


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