PAF Base Qadri (PAF Skardu)

PAF Base Qadri is a main operating base of the Pakistan Air Force Northern Air Command, situated near Skardu in the Baltistan region. Originally constructed in 1949 by the Pakistan Air Force and local Balti residents, the site was established as an emergency airstrip to maintain a logistic supply line to troops engaged in skirmishes. Historically, the facility operated as a satellite of PAF Base Minhas under the designation PAF Skardu. In 2003, the base was renamed in honor of Air Commodore Abdul Hameed Qadri.

The base has been utilized during various regional conflicts, including the Kargil War, the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff, the 2016–2018 border skirmishes, the 2019 Jammu and Kashmir airstrikes, and the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict.

The facility is an operational installation under the Ministry of Defence. It hosts the 488 Mission Control Center and the 909 MRR Squadron. Air defense capabilities at the site include squadrons equipped with TPS-77 radar systems and SPADA-2000 air defense systems.

Infrastructure at the base was upgraded in the late 2010s, resulting in its classification as an FOB+. The airfield is shared with Skardu Airport. The base enables the Pakistan Air Force to conduct aerial operations over northern Pakistan and accommodates aircraft such as the F-16.