No. 6 Squadron, nicknamed the Antelopes, is a transport squadron of the Pakistan Air Force. It is the PAF's oldest squadron which is currently based at Nur Khan Air Base and operates the C-130 & CN-235 transport aircraft.
History
Operational history Second World War
The Squadron's Hawker Hurricanes were deployed for operations at British Burma during fighting with Japanese forces.
1st Kashmir War
During the 1947 war, the squadron carried out regular supply drops in Azad Kashmir for troops and villages that had been cut off by snow. Dakota pilots had to fly between the region's mountains, because their fully loaded aircraft had a ceiling of around 10,000ft, while the surrounding mountain peaks were 16,000–20,000ft high. In November 1948 the squadron dropped 40,000kg of supplies while operating from Risalpur and Peshawar. On 4 November 1948, a Dakota was attacked by two Hawker Tempest fighters of the Indian Air Force, but Flying Officer Mukhtar Dogar managed to evade the fighters.
The RPAF purchased a large number of Bristol Freighter transports for No. 6 Squadron in early 1950. The Freighter's fuel capacity enabled the squadron to fly longer transport and communication sorties. Some of the Freighters were modified in 1955 to carry a "block-buster" bomb under each wing, and limited training in night bombing was undertaken. Similar operations occurred later with the C-130 Hercules. Freighters would be used in varying climatic and geographical conditions, such as the snowbound mountains in Kashmir, the southern Punjabi deserts, and East Pakistan's tropical forests. The 1952 floods led to the unit's deployment for large-scale food supply drops, for which the squadron received an award on 17 August 1952, from the Governor of the Punjab. "Operation Snow Drop" began on 15 November 1953, and involved dropping supplies in Pakistan's Northern Areas from PAF Base Chaklala. From 15 to 30 November 1953, the Antelopes flew 780 hours and dropped 363,000kg of supplies. Replacement of the Bristol Freighter began in 1963 with the delivery of four Lockheed C-130B Hercules transports, which enabled the squadron to fly over the Karakoram mountains rather than between them, thus improving flight safety.
India–Pakistan war of 1965
In the India–Pakistan war of 1965 the Antelopes dropped parachute commandos into Indian territory in a night-time mission involving three C-130B transports. Just before the 1965 war started, the squadron's commanding officer, Wing Commander Eric Gordan Hall, had the idea of making up for the PAF's deficiency in heavy bombers by modifying the Hercules to carry bombs. It was converted to carry 10,000 kg of bombs, which were rolled out on pallets from the rear ramp, and over 21 night-time bombing raids were flown against Indian forces approaching for the Battles of Chawinda and Pul Kanjari. Support missions for troops in the Northern Areas were continued after the war.
Bangladesh Liberation War
War on terror
The squadron participated extensively during Operation Zarb e Azb.
2025 India–Pakistan conflict
Royal International Air Tattoo
The No. 6 Squadron has participated in the British RIAT on various occasions.
Aircraft Flown + Aircraft From To Air BasePre-Independence (1942–47) Hurricane IIB 1 December 1942 June 1946 Trichinopoly Spitfire XIVe June 1946 April 1947 Ranchi Douglas C-47 Skytrain April 1947 August 1947 Karachi
No. 6 Squadron Antelopes Role Operational AircraftTransport 1947—1950 C-47 Transport 1950—1963 Bristol Freighter Transport 1963—Present C-130 Hercules
Gallery
See also List of Pakistan Air Force squadrons
References