No. 9 Squadron, named the ''Griffins'', is a

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

fighter squadron assigned to the No. 38 Multi-Role Wing of the PAF Central Air Command. The squadron is stationed at

PAF Base Mushaf PAF Base Mushaf (formerly PAF Base Sargodha), ), is a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) airbase situated at Sargodha in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is designated as a "Major Operational Base" or "MOB" by the PAF.Sargodha Sargodha ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as ...

. It was the PAF's first fighter squadron and has been commanded by seven Chiefs of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force. The squadron crest is a red

griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

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 (Pashto/ ur, رسالپور) is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 18 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin so ...

. The squadron was formed at

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

on 3 January 1944, equipped with the Hawker Hurricane IIC, by

Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

A.W. Ridler of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. During this time the squadron was commanded by then Squadron Leader

Asghar Khan Air Marshal Muhammad Asghar Khan (Retd.) ( ur, 17 January 1921 – 5 January 2018), was a Pakistani politician and an autobiographer, later a dissident serving the cause of pacifism, peace, and human rights. Born into a military famil ...

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). The squadron was thus established at

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

as the RPAF's first fighter squadron, equipped with eight

Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest is a British fighter aircraft that was primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest, originally known as the ''Typhoon II'', was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to ...

fighters and commanded by Squadron Leader M. Ibrahim Khan. The squadron converted to the

Hawker Sea Fury The Hawker Sea Fury is a British fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. It was the last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, and one of the fastest production single reciprocating engine aircraft e ...

in July 1950 and moved to

Kohat Kohat ( ps, کوهاټ; ur, ) is a city that serves as the capital of the Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is regarded as a centre of the Bangash tribe of Pashtuns, who have lived in the region since the late 15th century ...

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 The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the "Century Series" of fi ...

. 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 Dassault Group (; also GIM Dassault or Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault SAS) is a French group of companies established in 1929 with the creation of Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (now Dassault Aviation) by Marcel Dassault, and led by son Ser ...

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 The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havil ...

during a night-time interception. After the 1971 Indo-Pak War started, the squadron was deployed to

PAF Base Masroor PAF Base Masroor is the largest airbase operated by the Pakistan Air Force. It is located in the Mauripur area of Karachi, in the Sindh province. The base was originally known as RPAF Station Mauripur and after 1956, as PAF Station Mauripur. ...

and flew air defence, reconnaissance, escort, and day/night strike missions. Three Indian aircraft, a

Folland Gnat The Folland Gnat is a British compact swept-wing subsonic fighter aircraft that was developed and produced by Folland Aircraft. Envisioned as an affordable light fighter in contrast to the rising cost and size of typical combat aircraft, it wa ...

and

Sukhoi Su-7 The Sukhoi Su-7 ( NATO designation name: Fitter-A) is a swept wing, supersonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Originally, it was designed as a tactical, low-level dogfighter, but was not successful in this role. On the ...

of the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

and a

Breguet Alizé Breguet or Bréguet may refer to: * Breguet (watch), watch manufacturer **Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), Swiss watchmaker **Louis-François-Clement Breguet (1804–1883), French physicist, watchmaker, electrical and telegraph work * Bréguet ...

of the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...

, were shot down. Squadron Leader Amjad Khan ejected after being shot down during an attack on an Indian radar. Wing Commander

Mervyn Middlecoat Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat (6 July 1931 – 12 December 1971) was a Pakistani fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) who was involved in a number of aerial battles during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars, before being ...

and Flight Lieutenant Samad Changezi were killed after being shot down during dogfights with more modern and maneuverable

MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickna ...

interceptors of the

. After the

F-104 The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the "Century Series" of fi ...

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 The Dassault Mirage 5 is a French supersonic attack aircraft designed 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 sever ...

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

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 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...

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 The Sukhoi Su-17 (''izdeliye'' S-32) is a variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed for the Soviet military. Its NATO reporting name is "Fitter". Developed from the Sukhoi Su-7, the Su-17 was the first variable-sweep wing aircraft to enter ...

fighters were downed on 17 May 1986, by Squadron Leader Mohammed Yousaf near

Parachinar Parachinar ( ps, پاړه چنار; ur, ) is a small Pashtun ( Turi and Bangash tribe) town which is the capital of Kurram District in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Parachinar is situated on a neck of Pakistani territory west ...

and an

Antonov An-26 The Antonov An-26 ( NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twin ...

was downed by Squadron Leader Sikander Hayat on 30 March 1987. The Thomson-CSF ATLIS II 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 PAF Base Samungli is a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) airbase located near Quetta, in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Originally used as a forward operating location during exercises and wartime, it was converted into a main operating base durin ...

to provide air defence for Pakistan's nuclear infrastructure.

Exercises

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

on 7 October 1996 to take part in the Inter-Squadron Armament Competition (ISAC 1996). ** Awards: 'Sher Afgan' 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'. *2019 **Sher Afgan Trophy (Top Gun): Wing Commander Nauman Akram Shaheed (OC 9 Squadron)

International

* Mid Link 74 – A

CENTO The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), also known as the Baghdad Pact and subsequently known as the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), was a military alliance of the Cold War. It was formed in 24 February 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turk ...

exercise that took place at

in 1974. * Anatolian Eagle 06 – In June 2006 a PAF contingent of F-16s from No. 9 Squadron was deployed to Konya Airbase in Turkey to take part in the Anatolian Eagle 2006 exercise. * Red Flag 2010-4 – In mid-2010 the PAF sent six

F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...

B fighters and 100 personnel of No. 9 Squadron to

Nellis Air Force Base Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...

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 USAF tankers, during which 50,303 kg of jet fuel was transferred. * Green Flag 2010-9 * Falcon Talon 2022

Aircraft Flown

Gallery

File:Falcon Talon 2022 US and Pakistani F-16.jpg, USAF and PAF F-16s during Falcon Talon 2022 File:F-16 Red Flag 2010 Pakistan Air Force 9 sqn Griffins 90616.jpg, The ''Griffins'' flying F-16B fighters during the Red Flag 2010 exercise. File:Ground Crew of No. 9 Squadron PAF.jpg, Ground crew of no.9 squadron performing F-16 maintenance duties File:Pakistan Air Force trains at Nellis.jpg File:Pakistan Air Force F-16 Red Flag 2010 group photo.jpg, A group photo of ''Griffins'' pilots deployed to Red Flag. File:Pakistan Air Force F-16 Red Flag 2010 Rashid.jpg, An officer performs a post-flight inspection after the ''Griffins'' arrive at Red File:USAF ground crew signals a Pakistani F-16BM.jpg, USAF ground crew signals a F-16BM from the No. 9 squadron "Griffins" during Falcon Talon 2022 File:F-16 Red Flag 2010 Pakistan Air Force 9 sqn Griffins.jpg, Griffins before the sunset File:100721-N-8931W-031.jpg, A ''Griffin'' takes on fuel from a USAF

KC-135 The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpo ...

tanker

References

External links

PAF's No. 9 Squadron Griffins
{{Military of Pakistan Pakistan Air Force squadrons