Nearly four months after Indian strikes crippled parts of the Nur Khan Airbase in Chaklala, Rawalpindi, Pakistan has started rebuilding key structures, according to a report.
New satellite images captured on September 3, 2025 by US-based Maxar Technologies show sections of new walls and fresh groundwork being laid at the site.
Geo-intelligence researcher Damien Symon of Intel Lab confirmed that the imagery points to visible reconstruction activity in the same zone where Indian missiles struck during Operation Sindoor.
Pre-strike satellite images had shown specialised military trucks positioned at the complex, which were destroyed in the Indian strikes. Analysts suggest these trucks were not ordinary vehicles but sophisticated Command and Control (C2) centres, vital for coordinating air and ground operations through integrated communication systems.
Symon explained: “India’s strike in May 2025 targeted specialised military trucks at a complex in the airbase and caused secondary damage to neighbouring structures. These structures were later taken down likely due to structural issues and internal damage. The current layout of the new wall sections appears to match the layout of the buildings that were taken down. The rebuilding effort also highlights Pakistan’s intention to restore operational capacity at this site, which is likely integral to airfield operations.”
The Nur Khan Airbase is not just a regular military installation, it houses the No. 12 VIP Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force, also known as the Burraqs.
This elite unit is tasked with transporting Pakistan’s top leadership, including the President, Prime Minister, service chiefs, and cabinet ministers.
The latest satellite imagery also showed a VVIP jet resembling a Bombardier Global 6000 and a military transport aircraft stationed close to the reconstruction zone, underlining the base’s high-profile operational role.
The strike on Nur Khan Airbase was earlier confirmed by none other than Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Recalling the tense moments of May 2025, he said: “I got a call at 2:30 on a secure phone from army chief General Syed Asim Munir who informed me that India just now launched ballistic missiles and one of them fell at Nur Khan Airport.”
