Awan68
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With the tremendous progress of supersonic/hyper sonic cruise missles, long range standoff weapons, stealth aircraft and advanced EW measures in the past decade, open airbases are no longer as impenetrable as they used to be even with multiple layers of air defence and ultra hardened bunkers. The threat of saturation cruise missle attack, drone swarms and hard to pin down stealth fighters on airbases looms over PAF in the next war, positively crippling billions worth of strategic aerial assets on the ground.
It is common knowledge that many of our nuclear strategic assets are provided cover by deeply dug tunnels and underground bases in impenetrable mountain ranges, a solution to protect aerial strategic assets arises out of this strategy and we won't be the first one to do it. It has been noted that China has near 40 such underground airbases which are considered impenetrable by cruise missles or even direct aerial bombing. The most an enemy can do is bomb the entrances and block the way out for several hours, nothing more. Swiss airforce has also been known to be an adherent of this strategy and is known to have several underground air bases.
Three to four such underground airbases at strategic locations among mountain ranges would be a start and a perfect solution for PAF to avoid destruction of aerial assets on the ground. Innovation lies at the basis of military strategy. There is no such thing as a conventional or traditionalist approach when the defence of an entire nation is at stake. We don't have the massive defence industrial base that the Us or China enjoy. We simply cannot churn out new fighters quickly enough as the war progresses hence we will mainly have to fight with the assets we already have therefore we simply cannot afford to loose them on the ground.
PLA fighters enroute to their underground dispersion hanger.
Saab Viggen out of its underground dispersion hanger.
Spare engines for the Viggen and Draken fighters are visible in this shot along with a Draken fighter aircraft.
It is common knowledge that many of our nuclear strategic assets are provided cover by deeply dug tunnels and underground bases in impenetrable mountain ranges, a solution to protect aerial strategic assets arises out of this strategy and we won't be the first one to do it. It has been noted that China has near 40 such underground airbases which are considered impenetrable by cruise missles or even direct aerial bombing. The most an enemy can do is bomb the entrances and block the way out for several hours, nothing more. Swiss airforce has also been known to be an adherent of this strategy and is known to have several underground air bases.
Three to four such underground airbases at strategic locations among mountain ranges would be a start and a perfect solution for PAF to avoid destruction of aerial assets on the ground. Innovation lies at the basis of military strategy. There is no such thing as a conventional or traditionalist approach when the defence of an entire nation is at stake. We don't have the massive defence industrial base that the Us or China enjoy. We simply cannot churn out new fighters quickly enough as the war progresses hence we will mainly have to fight with the assets we already have therefore we simply cannot afford to loose them on the ground.
PLA fighters enroute to their underground dispersion hanger.
Saab Viggen out of its underground dispersion hanger.
Spare engines for the Viggen and Draken fighters are visible in this shot along with a Draken fighter aircraft.
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