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Air Marshal Muhammad Asghar Khan has been chief architect of our modern fighter jet Air Force from teeth, to tail. Since July 1957 during his tenure, The air force inducted Korean battle tested fighter bomber F-86s, Martin B-57s bombers, supersonic F-104s star fighter, Hercules C-130s, advanced training jets T-33s and basic training jets T-37s, for search and rescue operations Sikorsky H-19D helicopters and SA-16 Albatross as well modern & state of art high powered early warning and surveillance radar systems of FPS-6 (height finder) & FPS-20 (surveillance).

As an Air Chief Air Marshal Muhammad Asghar Khan, whose sterling credentials and brand name has been marked on the PAF since August 15, 1947. A youngest inspiring air force commander with strategic vision and a distinguished jet fighter pilot for newly born Air Force.

The Air Force had also begun inducting sidewinder air-to-air missiles (GAR-8 series) to its jet interceptor-fighters force. The entire infrastructure of the Air Force was planned to transforming from propeller aircraft force to jet aircraft force, an advanced technology transformation ahead of its time in the Indo-Pak Sub-Continent.

Apart from induction of the US origin hi-tech military hardware in the Air Force, The Air Chief and his Air Staff undertook the uphill task to transforming PAF s’ propeller aircraft force into a technologically advanced fighter jet air force in accordance with professional and operational training standards of the US Air Force on war footings. The US Air Force also provided its F-86 Sabre jets Vs MIGs air combat tactics/strategy profiles during Korean War of 1950-53 through bilateral training programs held in USA, West Germany and Pakistan. The key factor of this gigantic transformation program for the PAF was professional excellence through logging of highest jet flying hours by the fighter-bomber pilots, while maintaining highest degree of flight safety.

Air Marshal Asghar Khan himself played the role model of the fighter pilot by flying/checking out each and every aircraft including F-86,B-57, & F-104 etc under his command setting finest operational standards for the air force. Thereby raising Squadrons after Squadron, as well imparting rigorous and perpetual professional gigantic training program for this newly advanced fighter jet air force in line with USAF ‘s standards. The ultimate milestone worked out by Air Headquarters, getting its air force ever ready for eventual war on Kashmir with numerically superior Indian Air Force. The professional excellence in fighter flying of the PAF was duly acknowledged by the USAF, when state of art mach- 2 air superiority fighter F-104 were provided to PAF, although our air force was the only non NATO Air Force declared qualified to operate these advanced hi-tech fighter aircraft.

The PAF had become razor sharp air war machine, ever ready to face any eventuality during war and peace, long before Air Marshal Asghar Khan got retired from Air Force in July 1965 handing over his command to another accomplished air warrior and bomber pilot of No 7th dive bomber Squadron Burma front bombing missions famed Air Marshal M Nur Khan. As Commander in Chief Air Marshal Nur Khan would command this highly trained, highly disciplined, and motivated professional air force during Indo-Pak war of 1965.

The above text is taken from the “PAF s’ Bomber Wing of B-57s” by: Arshad Hussain

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