On 15 September 1961, history was written at Sargodha Air Base (later renamed PAF Base Mushaf) when the first pair of F-104 Starfighters thundered onto the runway after completing their ferry flight from Faisal Base.
These jets had first arrived at Karachi, sea-lifted aboard the US Navy carrier CORE. From there, they were painstakingly transported to Faisal Base through three grueling midnight road convoys.
The convoys crawled at just 3–5 mph, hauling the prized fighters from West Wharf under strict secrecy and unprecedented traffic control. Once reassembled and air-tested at Faisal, the Starfighters were flown to their new home at Sargodha. These aircraft carried advanced modifications tailored to PAF’s requirements.
They were equipped with C-2 upward-firing ejection seats, AN/ASG-14T1 fire-control systems and the more powerful General Electric J79-11A engines, along with the deadly M-61 Vulcan cannon.
Going further, PAF engineers displayed remarkable ingenuity, converting a two-seat F-104B into a reconnaissance platform with Swedish TA-7M cameras and modifying a single F-104A to carry radar-homing devices such as RALOR and SLARD for electronic warfare roles.The legendary No 9 Squadron “Griffins” was the sole unit to operate these iconic jets.