SOURCE: AFI

In the wake of a devastating terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of at least 26 civilians, mostly tourists, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has significantly ramped up its military posture along the border with India. Reports indicate that the PAF has deployed its Saab Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to maintain vigilant surveillance over the region, signaling a state of high alert and anticipation of a potential Indian response.

This escalation follows unverified claims on social media platforms, including X, suggesting large-scale PAF movements, activation of air bases, and the use of Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) platforms to monitor Indian communications.

The PAF’s deployment of the Saab Erieye AEW&C, a sophisticated airborne radar system mounted on a Saab 2000 platform, underscores Pakistan’s intent to closely monitor Indian airspace and military movements. The Erieye system, capable of detecting aircraft, missiles, and ground targets at long ranges, provides real-time situational awareness, enabling the PAF to coordinate its air defenses effectively. Sources on X have claimed that the PAF has launched AWACS operations near the Indian border, stretching from Rajasthan to the Jammu sector, as a preemptive measure against possible Indian retaliation.

This deployment is a clear indication that Pakistan is not taking any chances, especially given the scale and audacity of the Pahalgam attack, which has been described as the deadliest in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike. The attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has drawn widespread international condemnation and heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

Unverified reports circulating on X suggest significant PAF activity, with assets being redeployed from the Southern Air Command to the Northern Air Command, closer to the Indian border. Air bases are reportedly being activated, and ELINT platforms are likely being utilized to intercept and analyze Indian military communications. These movements indicate that Pakistan is bracing for a potential Indian response, possibly in the form of targeted strikes or heightened military operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The PAF’s heightened state of readiness follows a pattern seen in previous India-Pakistan confrontations, such as the 2019 Balakot airstrike, when India responded to the Pulwama attack with surgical strikes on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The current mobilization suggests that Pakistan’s military leadership, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), anticipates a similar retaliatory action from India, especially given the provocative rhetoric from Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, who recently referred to Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein.”

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