Tufail, Kaiser Against All Odds. The Pakistan Air Force in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War

A volume from the series "Asia @ War". The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a major military confrontation between India and Pakistan. It was fought between 3 and 17 December 1971 on two fronts on the Indian subcontinent and resulted in an all-out war between two major conventional armed forces over the fate of the former East Pakistan. It led to the emergence of a new, independent state of Bangladesh. In the west, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) began its operations with an attack on the forward air bases of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 3 December 1971, followed by a series of major air battles over the main conflict zones. In the east, the small PAF contingent was quickly neutralised by the IAF. When the war in West Pakistan ended on 17 December, the PAF was still in the game and on its feet. It had repulsed the enemy's blows and had been extremely cautious in its offensive responses. It remained fixated on remaining operational in order to provide full air support to the army in its all-important battle, which stemmed from the overarching dictum that 'the defence of the East lies in the West'. The overall performance of the PAF can be deduced from the fact that it managed to keep the attrition rate of its aircraft at par with the IAF. The PAF unequivocally denied a much stronger IAF the clear opportunity to deal it a crushing blow. Under the circumstances, this was a commendable achievement. The booklet is richly illustrated with a selection of exclusive photographs, more than a dozen authentic colour profiles and a similar number of maps. It offers a unique reference source for enthusiasts and professionals alike.