Pak bases with US F-16 among targets hit by India, show documents

The extent of the damage suffered by Pakistan military in the air strikes carried out by India under Operation Sindoor are coming out in open gradually, showing significant structural and operational damage across Pakistan's air defence infrastructure.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

As per the latest assessment, at least 21 Pakistan Air Force (PAF) installations were struck by India, which led to the degradation of a wide range of aerial platforms and base-level support systems of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

The extent of these damages has been confirmed not through diplomatic statements or intelligence leaks but via a detailed assessment of tenders quietly issued by the PAF and its Military Engineer Services (MES) in the last two weeks. The document, accessed by The Sunday Guardian, lays out an emergency sequence of public procurement contracts for post-strike repairs, upgrades, and replacements, and offers clear and document-backed evidence of the military setback Islamabad suffered in the aftermath of the Indian retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre.

Among the most revealing entries is a tender issued by PAF Base Shahbaz in Jacobabad. The contract, which calls for sealed bids to restore and manage the base's firing range for fiscal year 2025-26, appears at first glance to be routine. But its inclusion in a report entirely focused on strike-related restoration, and the urgency with which the bidding process is structured, point to a disrupted operational environment. The base is known to host Pakistan's frontline US F-16 Block 52 fleet.

While the tender itself does not explicitly mention the aircraft, its timing, scope, and connection to range recovery strongly imply that F-16-related training infrastructure was damaged. The contract invites reputable firms to conduct site visits and submit bids by 2 June, with opening set for 6 June. It includes discretionary rejection rights on technical or security grounds-an indicator of the base's sensitive role.

It is expected that with the extent of Pakistan's damage now coming out this way, the Pakistan military will refrain from sharing the tender requirements publicly in the future.