No. 7 Squadron PAF

No. 7 TA Squadron
*Bandits*
No. 7 TA Squadron ; Bandits
Active	June 1960 – Present [ Mirage-IIIDP

No. 7 Squadron, nicknamed the Bandits, is a tactical attack squadron of the Pakistan Air Force. Which is under the No. 38 Tactical Attack wing.^[3]^[4]

History

The squadron was established in June 1960 as No. 7 Light Bomber Squadron under the command of Squadron Leader Ali Quli Khan Yusufzai. It was based at

PAF Base Mauripur, equipped with the Martin B-57 Canberra light bomber and assigned to airfield strike and deep interdiction roles. Unit inventory comprised ten B-57B models and one dual-seat B-57C model, which was nicknamed "Baba" and was kept airworthy despite being landed once with nose-wheel up and twice with all landing gear up.^[5]

Several aircraft were lost during the

Nanchang A-5C

attack aircraft. The formal reequipment ceremony held on 27 December 1983 included a fly-past by two B-57 and three A-5C.

The squadron was disbanded again in the second half of 1988 in the face of serious problems with maintaining the Nanchang A-5C. Equipment and personnel were transferred to other units and the problematic A-5Cs were sent to China for overhaul. The squadron was reestablished after their return on 13 November 1989 and soon returned to operational status. Its role was changed in May 1990 to that of an

Operational Conversion Unit. Although the pilots were converted to the A-5C, there were many aircrew fatalities caused by its relatively primitive ejection seat. The A-5 fleet was grounded and aircrews were again transferred to other squadrons. The first batch of new zero-zero capable^{[further explanation needed]} Martin-Baker ejection seats was delivered to PAF Base Masroor on 1 July 1991, and within 2 months the A-5C fleet began flying again.^{[citation needed}

]

It was later decided to reequip the Bandits with

PAC Kamra's Mirage overhaul facility. On 15 February 1993 the unit's equipment was swapped with that of No. 22 Squadron, an Operational Conversion Unit for Mirage III/5 fighters. The Bandits continued operating Mirages, but a role had not yet been assigned to them.^{[citation needed}

]

In 1997 the unit received the ex-Australian Mirage IIIO fighters, which had been upgraded under Project ROSE. These ROSE I fighters had been installed with new avionics, including FIAR Grifo M3 radar, which allowed the squadron's role to be changed from tactical attack to multi-role. Air-to-ground weapons delivery and other exercises were conducted, and the squadron was deployed over Balochistan for air defence prior to Pakistan's nuclear tests in 1998. Mirage of No 7 Squadron carried out the test of the Ra'ad missile.

In December, 2023 the Squadron was relocated from Air Force Station, Masroor to Air Force Station, Mushaf due to the disbanding of CCS Mirage Squadron. Now, No 7. Squadron is performing dual operations including Tactical Attack and CCS. The aircraft of CCS Mirage have been merged with No 7 TA Squadron. This operational requirement was a greater move in the history of No 7 TA Squadron. No 7 Squadron is the only fighter squadron in Pakistan Air Force which is presently commanded by a Female Officer Commanding and a Female SEO.

No. 7 Squadron Bandits
Role	Operational	Aircraft	Notes
Deep interdiction and strike	1960–1982	B-57 Canberra
Tactical Attack	1982–1988	Nanchang A-5C
	1989–1990	Nanchang A-5C
Operational Conversion Unit	1990–1991	Nanchang A-5C
Tactical Attack	1991–1993	Dassault Mirage III Mirage IIIO
	1993–1997
Multi-role	1997—	Dassault Mirage IIIO ROSE I

Exercises

Saffron Bandit 92 – exercise held in November 1992.
High Mark 93
High Mark 95
DACT camp 1995
ISAC 96 – inter-squadron armament competition, squadron achieved 4th place overall.
Falcon Air Meet 2010

Gallery

The Bandits compete in the bombing competition at Falcon Air Meet 2010 in Jordan. Two 500 lb bombs are loaded on a Mirage III and a direct hit is achieved on the target.

The squadron competes in the Alert Scramble competition and a Bandit flies in formation with other participants at Falcon Air Meet 2010, Azraq, Jordan.