New Delhi: 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.
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.
Similarly, at PAF Base Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, multiple tenders have been issued for the repair and replacement of components specific to the Chinese JF-17 fighter jets and C-130 military transport aircraft. These include survival radio testers, RD item overhauls, and D-level maintenance systems for reconnaissance and support platforms.
The base has also initiated tenders for digital communication tools, batteries, and airframe accessories, suggesting extensive logistical disruption.
At PAF Headquarters in Islamabad, tenders have already been opened for RD item repairs on DA-20 fixed-wing aircraft and AW-139 helicopters—both platforms used for command mobility, aerial surveillance, and VIP transport. The inclusion of these aircraft in the repair log suggests that either direct or collateral damage was sustained during the strike period.
Tenders issued by HQ also included procurement for cybersecurity testing, pointing to likely concerns over digital system integrity and network resilience following the strikes.
The air bases at Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur figure prominently in the assessment accessed by this newspaper.Tenders issued from these locations call for civil reconstruction and equipment procurement in connection with UCV (unmanned combat vehicle) hangars.
Significantly, the original strike list released by India had included these locations as targets; the post-strike tender activity now confirms that unmanned systems infrastructure—viewed as critical to Pakistan’s surveillance and cross-border disruption capability—was compromised.Sargodha, a high-value operational airbase, has issued tenders for runway surface repair, another clear indication of direct kinetic damage.Similar civil engineering contracts were opened by MES at Mianwali’s MM Alam Base, where electrical, mechanical, and plumbing restoration has been tendered on a tight timeline and with mandatory pre-qualification.Across all these sites, the nature of tenders reflects not routine maintenance but urgent recovery.
The document lists civil works, resurfacing, repair of radar systems, replacement of vehicle-mounted radios, telecom tools, and electronic warfare items including Sky Guard DSI and its link management system. Restoration tenders for Sky Guard DSI and its Link Management System strongly indicate the disruption caused to Pakistan’s air defence and tracking capabilities.
Base-level recovery efforts also included restoration of MT (mechanical transport) fleets, POL (petroleum oil lubricant) systems, and airfield security structures such as guardrooms and perimeter surveillance.
In some cases, as at Faisal Base and Lower Topa, tenders covered not only technical gear but also furniture, mess facilities, and office electronics—implying blast-related damage or evacuation-induced strain on infrastructure.
Islamabad’s PAF Hospital is one of the few non-combat installations named. It issued urgent tenders for the procurement and repair of medical equipment, surgical instruments, and hospital furniture. Though not a strike target, its appearance in the document suggests logistical stress—potentially from a post-strike casualty load or from support operations routed through the capital. Other medical procurement entries appear under PAF Base Sakesar and Faisal, which tendered for repairs to technical and diagnostic systems.
In total, the following 21 sites are named in the document as either damaged or issuing tenders for post-strike recovery: Bahawalpur, Muridke, Malir, Lahore, Gujranwala, Chaklala, Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Sargodha, Shikari, Bholari, Jacobabad (PAF Base Shahbaz), Nur Khan (Rawalpindi), Rawalpindi MES & GE Comds, Risalpur, Kallar Kahar, Mianwali (MM Alam Base), Faisal (Karachi), Lower Topa, and HQ CM (Air) Islamabad. Many of these appear on the list of targets India publicly named in the immediate aftermath of its strikes.
The urgency of these tenders is evident in the scheduling: most were opened within two to three weeks of the strikes and closed in early June. Contractors are required to be MES- or PEC-approved, with several tenders noting that incomplete documentation or litigation history will disqualify bids. In some cases, the estimated cost of restoration ranges from PKR 1 to 3.5 million, pointing to mid-sized infrastructural projects aimed at immediate functional recovery. Technical system tenders include warranty, delivery, and compliance clauses—typical of defence procurement but also indicative of items being replaced under stress.