Pakistan Air Force

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF), also known as Royal Pakistan Air Force, RPAF, Pakistan Air Arm, and in Urdu as پاک فِضائیہ, is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to defend Pakistani airspace and conduct air operations in support of national defense objectives. The PAF operates a mix of fighter, attack, transport, and rotary‑wing aircraft to fulfill roles ranging from air superiority and ground attack to reconnaissance and airlift. Headquartered in Pakistan, the service is organized under the Ministry of Defense and led by the Chief of Air Staff. Throughout its history the PAF has participated in several conflicts and contributed to regional security efforts. The organization is recognized for maintaining a fleet that includes both domestically produced platforms and aircraft acquired from international suppliers.

In November 2018 the PAF was targeted by a sophisticated state‑sponsored cyberespionage campaign dubbed Operation Shaheen. Attackers, tracked as the White Company, used spear‑phishing emails with weaponized Word documents referencing government affairs and Chinese military activities. The malicious attachments delivered multi‑layered malware designed to evade major antivirus solutions and gather tactical and strategic intelligence. The campaign highlighted the PAF’s status as a high‑value target linked to national security and nuclear capabilities. Attribution remained challenging due to the attackers’ use of obfuscation techniques and tools from multiple developers. While the PAF’s core mandate remains aerial defense, the incident underscores the growing importance of cyber resilience for military institutions.