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19 Squadron

No 19 Air Superiority Squadron was raised on 01 February 1958 at Mauripur with twelve F-86F aircraft. It started its operational training for its assigned role of day air defence and close support under its first commander Squadron Leader Amanullah Khan. The Squadron achieved first position among F-86 squadrons in the Perry-Keene armament competition held in February 1962.

Also in 1962, a flight of 4 Sabres was sent to Dhaka on a trial assignment. By October the Squadron move had been completed with another's flight of 4 aircraft followed by a pair while 2 aircraft were sent by ship. At Dhaka the Squadron became deeply involved in tackling the teething problems in the exciting new environment. The move had generated great enthusiasm among the masses at Dhaka who thronged the air base at Tejgaon to see the shiny fighter planes.

The Squadron was originally planned to be moved back to West Pakistan before the monsoon storms but the squadron commander, Squadron Leader Wiqar Azim represented to the C-in-C, who was passing through Dhaka in a B-57 on his way to a SEATO meeting in Bangkok, that the squadron should stay on through the monsoon weather and establish the precautionary measures and systems which would enable Tejgaon to become a permanent operational air base. The C-in-C agreed and 19 Squadron continued its stay in Dhaka. It was thus also able to stage the first jet aircraft fly past over Dhaka during the Pakistan Day ceremonies on 23 March 1963.

In October 1963, the squadron moved to Peshawar from where it saw action in the September 1965 war with India. On 06 September 1965 it carried out some of the first close air support missions on the Wagah front and helped avert an Indian army offensive across the BRB canal.

Pakistan Armed Forces saved the country from a major defeat by preventing the Indian Army from crossing the last defence before Lahore, the BRB Canal in 1965 War. Dawn of 6th September, 1965 saw a formation of 6 F-86s of No 19 Squadron fully loaded with 5 inch rockets (a last minute premonition the night before, by Air Marshal Nur Khan the C-in-C, which paid rich dividends) flying on "Hot Patrol'. The moment the Air Defence Commander learnt of Indian Army's advance towards Lahore, the 19 Squadron formation was diverted to stop the advancing Indian armour columns at Wagah. In twenty minutes of action, the Grand Trunk Road was littered with scores of burning tanks, armoured and soft vehicles. The 5 inch rockets had a devastating effect on the enemy armour. The formation led by Squadron Leader Sajad Haider with Flight Lieutenants M Akbar, Dilawar Hussain, Ghani Akbar and Flying Officers Khalid Latif, and Arshad Chaudhry brought the Indian attack to a dead halt.

Late that evening, 19 Squadron struck Pathankot airfield as part of the PAF's counter air offensive. 8 F-86Fs of No 19 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider struck Pathankot airfield. With carefully positioned dives and selecting each individual aircraft in their protected pens for their strafing attacks, the strike elements completed a textbook operation against Pathankot. Wing Commander M G Tawab, flying one of the two Sabres as tied escorts overhead, counted 14 wrecks burning on the airfield. Among the aircraft destroyed on the ground were nearly all of the IAFs Soviet-supplied Mig-21s till then received, none of which were seen again during the War.

By the end of the war the squadron had flown 706 hours in 554 sorties without losing a single aircraft or pilot. It had destroyed 14 enemy aircraft, 74 tanks, 140 vehicles and 16 guns, and damaged 16 aircraft, 68 tanks, 128 vehicles and 27 guns. For this outstanding performance the officer commanding, Squadron Leader S S Haider was awarded the Sitara-i-Juraat.

In June 1967, the squadron was moved to PAF Base, Masroor where, just before the 1971 war some F-86E aircraft were inducted into the unit. The day air defence of the southern sector with a mixture of Fs and Es was successful as was close air support in the Rajasthan sector inspite of communication difficulties with the forward air controllers. Overall, in its limited operations the squadron destroyed 2 Indian Air Force Hunters, one Mi-4 helicopter and damaged one Hunter. In addition, 8 enemy tanks and several vehicles were destroyed while 2 trains were set ablaze during close support missions. The Squadron suffered only one casualty when Flying Officer Naseem Nisar Ali was shot down by an Indian Air Force Hunter.

On 10 November 1972, the Squadron was converted into Fighter Leaders School. In 1977 it was re-equipped with F-6 aircraft and designated as No 19 Air Superiority Squadron; the unit was assigned the role of day interceptor and close support and was moved to PAF Base, Sargodha. A year later, the Squadron demonstrated its proficiency on the new type of aircraft by winning the armament competition trophy for 1978. The squadron also had the honour of representing the PAF in an Iran-Pakistan armament competition held at Vahdati air base in Iran in September 1978. In 1979 it displayed outstanding professionalism in exercise Jetstream and won the Professionals Trophy.

The addition of F-16s in the PAF have further enhanced capability of aerial defence of the country. Chief of the Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif spoke at an impressive "Re-Equipment Ceremony of No.19 Multi Role Squadron" of Pakistan Air Force, which was held at PAF Base, Mushaf on 21 May 2014. A simple but elegant Squadron colour handing over ceremony was held when Airmen of No. 19 Squadron led by its Officer Commanding Wing Commander Naeem presented general salute to the chief guest. After inspecting the smartly turned out contingent General Raheel Sharif handed over the squadron colour from one pilot of No. 19 OCU to the other young pilot of the No. 19 MR Squadron. The handing of squadron colour marked a new era of No. 19 Squadron from an Operational Conversion Unit to a Multi Role Squadron. In line with PAF traditions, the outgoing weapon system F-7 P was escorted by a very close arrow formation of newly equipped three F-16 fighting falcons. This followed by an exhilarating and superb solo aerobatics by an F-16 flown by Wing Commander Syed Omer Shah. Gen Raheel Sharif along with Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Chief of the Air Staff inspected the cockpit of newly equipped No 19 MR Squadron F-16.