Post-Op Sindoor, Pakistan builds underground airbases to shield PAF assets

Operation Sindoor: A Wake-Up Call for the PAF

Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025, as retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 civilians, targeted nine terror hotbeds linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). However, when Pakistan responded with shelling and drone incursions across the LoC in areas like Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor, India escalated with precision airstrikes on May 10, hitting at least eight Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases and radar sites. Using advanced munitions like BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from Su-30MKI fighters and SCALP/Hammer standoff weapons from Rafales, the IAF inflicted devastating damage without breaching Pakistani airspace.

Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies reveals craters on runways, collapsed hangars, and destroyed facilities at bases including Mushaf (Sargodha), Bholari, Jacobabad, Nur Khan (Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal), Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Rafiqui, Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot. Notable losses included a Saab 2000 Erieye AWACS at Bholari, three F-16 fighters at Jacobabad, and a hangar housing Chinese Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs. A three-meter-wide crater at Murid’s most guarded complex came perilously close to an existing underground facility, while Nur Khan—near Pakistan Army HQ—saw specialized military vehicles obliterated. These strikes grounded PAF operations for weeks, exposing the inadequacy of standard hangars against precision-guided munitions.

The Underground Pivot: From Vulnerability to Buried Ambition

Reeling from these setbacks, Pakistan is now prioritizing subterranean infrastructure to protect assets like JF-17 Thunders, F-16s, and Chinese J-10Cs. Reports indicate high-level PAF discussions for underground facilities at bases like Sargodha, Bholari, and Jacobabad, where satellite imagery shows reliance on unprotected hangars. This shift mirrors Israel’s hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) or China’s underground bases in the Himalayas but is a “desperate measure” given Pakistan’s economic constraints and the proven vulnerability of even HAS to modern strikes like those in Op Sindoor.

Construction could involve tunneling into mountainsides for aircraft dispersal, with automated doors and reinforced taxiways—potentially costing billions and taking 2-3 years. However, experts note limitations: Underground shelters depend on external runways, which India could crater with BrahMos (Mach 3, 300+ km range). If taxiways are hit, sheltered jets become “tombs.” Moreover, the Erieye AWACS loss has crippled PAF’s situational awareness, making dispersal harder without robust early warning.

Escalation Risks and India’s Response

Pakistan’s underground gambit raises alarms, potentially signaling preparations for prolonged attrition warfare. Analysts warn it could embolden proxy attacks along the LoC, especially near Sir Creek, where maritime tensions simmer. The move also strains Pakistan’s ties with China, whose supplied assets (e.g., J-10Cs, UAVs) fared poorly, prompting Beijing to push for upgrades.

India, meanwhile, is unphased. The IAF’s success—downing Pakistani drones and projectiles without losses—validates investments in indigenous tech like the Uttam AESA radar and Astra BVR missiles. Post-Sindoor, India has accelerated S-400 deployments along the western border and IRSA integration for unified comms. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed allies like the US, UK, and France, emphasizing no civilian targets were hit, while Pakistan’s claims of downing a Rafale remain unverified and dismissed as propaganda.

This asymmetry favors India: With 31 squadrons (rising via Tejas Mk-1A inductions), superior ISR from Heron TP drones, and standoff weapons, the IAF can neutralize buried threats via saturation strikes or cyber means. Operation Sindoor not only avenged Pahalgam but unified domestic support, per Atlantic Council analysis, while exposing US policy imbalances in South Asia.

Looking Ahead: A Shadow War Underground?

Pakistan’s underground bases may buy time, but without addressing core weaknesses—like outdated AWACS and vulnerable supply lines—they risk becoming symbols of overreach. For India, this is a reminder to evolve: Enhanced bunker-busters and AI-driven targeting could render such pivots obsolete. As both nations eye 2026 budgets, the LoC remains a tinderbox—will buried jets deter or provoke?

Sources: NDTV, IDRW, The Hindu, and satellite imagery reports as of October 11, 2025.

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