C OVER STORY
Force being involved in full scale combat for the first
time since independence. Though the two forces had
previously faced off in the First Kashmir War during the
late 1940s, it was limited in scale compared to the '65
conflict.Both countries hold highly contradictory claims
on combat losses during the war and hardly any neutral sources have thoroughly verified the claims of both
countries' claim. PAF claimed it had shot down 104 IAF
planes losing only 19 in the process. India meanwhile officially stated that 35 IAF planes were lost while shooting
down 73 PAF aircraft. According to Indian figures, the
overall attrition rate was 2.16% for Pakistan Air Force
and 1.49% for IAF.[14] India also pointed that despite
PAF claims of losing only a squadron of combat craft,
Pakistan had been seeking urgent help from Indonesia,
Iraq, Iran, Turkey and China, for additional aircraft within
10 days of the war.[15]Pakistan's main strike force comprised the U.S.
made F-86 Sabre jets, which
claimed a fair
share of Indian
planes, though
remaining
vulnerable to
the
dimunitive
Folland
Gnat,
nicknamed
"Sabre
Slayer".
[16] The F-104
Starfighter of
the PAF was
by far the fastest
fighter
plane operating in the subcontinent
at
that time. On
the other hand, the Indian Air Force relied largely on
the Hawker Hunter for attacks. Unlike the PAF whose
planes largely consisted of American craft, IAF flew an
assortment of planes from Vampires to Mysteres, many
of which were outdated in comparison to PAF planes,
with even the Hunters and Gnats being outmatched
by the Sabres and Starfighters.[17]Some of the fiercest dogfights occurred over Sargodha which was PAF's
main base housing the bulk of its planes; IAF planes
attacked the base but PAF was able to repulse the attacks. PAF responded by attacking Indian bases with
some success, especially in air to ground attacks but
were soon forced to back off, in order