Reconstruction has begun at Pakistan’s Nur Khan Airbase nearly four months after an Indian strike caused extensive damage, India Today reported. Satellite imagery from US-based Maxar Technologies, captured on Wednesday, shows new wall sections and groundwork at the site, highlighting Islamabad’s efforts to restore the airbase’s operational capacity.
The airbase, which reportedly hosts the No. 12 VIP Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force, nicknamed the Burraqs, is responsible for transporting the country’s top leadership, including the Prime Minister, President, service chiefs, and cabinet ministers. Earlier this week, two of Pakistan’s VVIP jets- one reportedly carrying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and another with newly promoted Field Marshal Asim Munir, departed from Nur Khan and Lahore for the SCO summit in Tianjin, underscoring the airbase’s continued strategic role despite ongoing reconstruction.
Sharif’s Gulfstream G450 reportedly took off from Lahore, while Munir’s jet departed from Nur Khan Airbase. Just meters from the runway used by Munir’s aircraft, rebuilding was visible at a site heavily damaged during the Indian strike in May 2025, part of Operation Sindoor.
The reprot, citing a geo-intelligence researcher at Intel Lab, says that pre-strike satellite imagery had shown “specialised military trucks” at the targeted site, which were destroyed during the attacks. Analysts believe these vehicles could have functioned as Command and Control (C2) centres, integrating air and ground assets with communication systems.
The India Today report also says that the researcher said the strike had also caused secondary damage to nearby structures, which were later demolished due to structural issues and internal damage. He noted that the layout of the newly constructed wall sections appears to mirror the buildings that were taken down, reflecting Pakistan’s intention to restore the airbase’s operational functionality, a site considered integral to airfield operations.
The latest imagery also shows a VVIP jet resembling a Bombardier Global 6000 and a military transport aircraft parked near the reconstruction zone, the report added.
The report also mentions Munir has been using the PAF Global 6000 for overseas travel while his regular Gulfstream underwent three months of maintenance at the UK’s Farnborough centre. That aircraft has since returned, and another Gulfstream, J755, is also believed to be stationed at Nur Khan.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister had earlier confirmed the strike, recalling that Munir personally informed him about the incident via a secure call at 2:30 a.m., reporting that India had launched ballistic missiles and one had hit Nur Khan Airport.
The reconstruction at Nur Khan signals Pakistan’s effort to restore its airbase infrastructure to pre-strike levels, even as the facility continues to handle VIP and military operations.
India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack reportedly commenced on May 7, with the Indian Air Force calibrating its strikes and escalating operations in response to drone and missile counter-attacks from Pakistani forces.
In coordinated pan-front operations, the IAF reportedly struck up to 200 km deep into Pakistani territory, the deepest penetration by Indian aircraft since the 1971 war. The strikes targeted terror camps, enemy radar installations, runways, and hangars housing Pakistan Air Force aircraft, ultimately pressuring the Pakistani leadership to come to the ceasefire table on May 10.