Ongoing Repairs at Sargodha Base Reveal Lasting Impact of Operation Sindoor
New high-resolution satellite imagery has unveiled that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base at Mushaf, Sargodha, remains a site of significant reconstruction sixteen months after it was targeted by the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor. The base, situated approximately 172 kilometers northwest of Lahore, continues to grapple with the structural consequences of the May 2025 precision strikes.
Persistent Structural Failure at Runway Junction
A Vantor satellite capture dated September 12, 2026, reveals a dark, irregular patch of disturbed pavement near the intersection of the primary runway and taxi-track. The imagery highlights a distinct contrast between this area and the surrounding asphalt, suggesting that the site of a previous missile impact crater has been excavated again for full-depth reconstruction.
Analysts observing the site noted that the presence of a vehicle stationed near the edge of this excavation points toward active work. This reopening of a previously “repaired” section suggests that earlier attempts to patch the crater failed to meet the structural requirements for heavy aircraft operations, likely suffering from surface unevenness or internal instability caused by the sheer force of the initial IAF strike.
The Long Road to Recovery
The latest imagery also captures a broader, sequential resurfacing effort occurring along the length of the 3,200-meter runway. While portions of the runway appear to have been finished with a smoother, darker surface, other segments remain in various states of readiness, indicating that the damage from the 88-hour conflict in May 2025 continues to necessitate intensive maintenance.
Air Marshal AK Bharti (retired), who served as the IAF’s Director General of Air Operations during the conflict, emphasized the strategic success of the mission. “The runway center line was struck from over 300 kilometers away, which is a testament to Indian Air Force precision,” Bharti stated. “The fact that the Sargodha runway remains under surgery sixteen months later confirms that the impact of Operation Sindoor is far from over.”
Tactical Significance of the Strike
On May 10, 2025, the Indian Air Force executed a synchronized series of strikes against ten key Pakistani installations, including air bases, radar networks, and surface-to-air missile batteries. The Mushaf airbase was targeted during a two-hour window between 10 am and 12 pm.
Post-strike analysis of the initial imagery from May 2025 revealed two precise hits on the main runway. The primary impact crater, estimated to be up to 9 meters wide and 5 meters deep, caused extensive damage that effectively grounded regional operations. Experts have linked the depth and scale of these craters to the use of air-launched BrahMos missiles fired from Sukhoi-30 MKI platforms.
The strike on Sargodha occurred amidst a period of high-intensity conflict that concluded with a ceasefire at 5 pm on the same day. While official hostilities ceased shortly thereafter, the ongoing reconstruction at Mushaf serves as a physical reminder of the strategic vulnerability exposed during the brief but intense 88-hour war between the two nations. As the repair work continues, the state of the runway remains a visual metric of the long-term operational degradation faced by the PAF following the events of May 2025.
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