| Qadri Airbase | |
| Ensign: | Air Force Ensign of Pakistan.svg |
| Location: | Skardu, Baltistan |
| Country: | Pakistan |
| Type: | Forward operating base |
| Pushpin Map: | Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Qadri Airbase in Pakistan |
| Pushpin Relief: | y |
| Ownership: | Ministry of Defense |
| Controlledby: | Northern Air Command |
| Open To Public: | Yes |
| Used: | Since |
| Condition: | Operational |
| Battles: | Pak Indo War 1965Pak Indo War 1971Kargil War 1999Kashmir Conflict 2019 |
| Occupants: | No. 488 Mission Control Center No. 909 MRR SquadronNo. 5 AJT Squadron PAF College Chaklala |
| Iata: | KDU |
| Icao: | OPSD |
| Elevation: | 2230m (7,320feet) |
| R1-Number: | 14L/32R |
| R1-Length: | 3641m (11,946feet) |
| R1-Surface: | Asphalt |
| R2-Number: | 14R/32L |
| R2-Length: | 3641m (11,946feet) |
| R2-Surface: | Asphalt |
PAF Base Qadri, (ur|پی اے ایف بیس قادری) is a main operating base of the Pakistan Air Force's Northern Air Command which located near the city of Skardu in the Baltistan region of Pakistan.[1] [2] [3] [4] It is named after Air Commodore Qadri.[5]
It was originally built in 1949 as an emergency airstrip together by the Pakistan Air Force and the balti locals in the area to establish a logistic supply line to Pakistani troops engaged with Indian military in post war skirmishes. It continued to function as PAF Skardu, a satellite of PAF Base Minhas. As time passed, the PAF felt the need for a base in Northern Pakistan as it could only employ F-16s from PAF Base Sargodha and PAF Base Minhas to carry out effective aerial operations over the northern parts of the country.[5]
In 2002, the base commander of Minhas airbase was killed after his Chengdu F-7P Skybolt crashed.[6] PAF Skardu was renamed PAF Qadri in his honor in 2003. By this time, it was hosting Exercise Mountain Camp annually.[5]
In the late 2010s, the camp received major infrastructure upgrades and its status was changed to an FOB+ with its role and task revised accordingly.[7] TPS-77 and SPADA-2000 squadrons were also deployed there for air defense.[5]