Abbas Khattak

Air Chief Marshal Abbas Khattak, NI(M), SBt, (born 16 July 1943), is a retired four-star general and air-force officer in the Pakistan Air Force who served as the 14th Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force from 8 November 1994 to 7 November 1997. Air Chief Marshal Khattak, a fighter pilot and an aviator of Pakistan's F-16 Fighting Falcons, was a senior member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan

Air force career
Born in Peshawar, one of four children, he graduated from Cadet College Hasan Abdal and joined PAF Academy. He entered the Pakistan Air Force on 20 January 1963 in the 35th GD(P) Course. Thereafter, he went to the United States to join the United States Air Force where he got commission from Nellis Air Force Base, North Las Vegas, Nevada. During his career, Khattak took part in two wars. Khattak came back to Pakistan, joining the Pakistan Air Force to participate in Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

In the 1965 war, he was one of the eight fighter pilots who took part in the famous attack on Pathankot airfield led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider from the No. 19 Squadron (Sherdils). In 1971, he was based in Sargodha Air Force Base where he, as Wing Commander commanded a small batch of fighter jets. He earned a gallantry award, Sitara-e-Basalat during the 1971 war.

A fighter pilot of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, Khattak was stationed in PAF Base Minhas, and was made Air Officer Commanding of F-16A Fighting Falcon Batch. Khattak became increasingly involved in the Soviet War in Afghanistan as the war began to progress to Pakistan. On November 20, 1988, Abbas Khattak of Squadron No 14 Tail Choppers, while flying the F-16, shot down a Soviet Air Force Antonov An-26 while on a reconnaissance mission inside Pakistan.

Military training
Khattak is a graduate of Pilot Training Course, USA; Flying Instructors' School Course, Risalpur; Air Command and Staff College, USA; Armed Forces War Course at National Defence College, Rawalpindi; and Royal College of Defence Studies, UK.

Command and staff appointments
His command appointments include; Officer Commanding No. 15 Squadron; Officer Commanding, No. 33 Wing; Officer Commanding, Combat Commanders' School; Base Commander, PAF Base Faisal and Masroor; and Air Officer Commanding, Southern Air Command.

His staff appointments include; Director of Flight Safety, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans), Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Training) and Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations).

Chief of Air Staff
Abbas Khattak was appointed as Chief of Air Staff on 8 November 1994. At promotion, he superseded at least two senior officers; Air Marshal Shafique Haider, then Vice Chief of Air Staff and Air Marshal Dilawar Hussain, then Chairman Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. During his tenure as the Air Chief, Khattak tried to acquire the French Dassault Mirage 2000-5 as an alternative to the F-16, after U.S military embargoes. Unfortunately for him and the then government of Benazir Bhutto, the President of Pakistan dissolved the national assembly on charges of corruption - a major arms deal was averted. During his tenure, Pakistan worked with China to develop the K-8 Karakorum. After his retirement he was succeeded by Air Marshal Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi.

He is married and has two sons.