PAF Base M.M. Alam (PAF Base Mianwali)

PAF Base M.M. Alam is located in the Mianwali District of Punjab, Pakistan. Established in 1942 by the British Raj for British India, the facility was originally known as RAF Mianwali. Between 1919 and 1923, it hosted detachments from Royal Air Force No. 27, No. 60, No. 97, and No. 99 Squadrons, which operated de Havilland DH.9A and Airco DH.10/10A Amiens aircraft. During the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, the site was upgraded to a satellite airbase for PAF Base Mushaf to act as an alternate recovery airfield. It became operational in October 1971 and saw use during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, where units operated Shenyang F-6 aircraft. The facility was upgraded to a permanent operational airbase in August 1974. On 20 March 2014, the base was renamed after Muhammad Mahmood Alam. Historical operations include the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars, Operation Sentinel, and Operation Swift Retort.

The base is operated by the Pakistan Air Force under the Northern Air Command. It houses the 37 Combat Training Wing and multiple units, including No. 1 Fighter Conversion Unit (FCU) "Rahbars," No. 20 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) "Cheetahs," Shooter Squadron, No. 63 Counter Unmanned Aircraft System (CUAS) Squadron "Harriers," and No. 86 Search and Rescue (SAR) Squadron "Swallows." The No. 1 FCU has conducted fighter conversion training at the facility since 1975, initially using FT-5 dual-seat aircraft. In 2012, the unit re-equipped with squadrons of K-8P trainer aircraft. The base provides infrastructure for operational conversion from dual-seat to single-seat aircraft. Previous occupants include No. 14 Squadron and No. 25 Squadron, which operated single-seat Shenyang F-6 fighters.