New Delhi: A special plane carrying the US peace delegation led by US Vice President JD Vance for peace talks on Saturday landed at Pakistan’s Noor Khan Base in Chaklala in Rawalpindi, the same airbase that was one of the major targets of India’s missile strikes as part of Operation Vermillion last May. The Iranian team led by Bagher Ghalibaf and Abbas Araghchi also landed at the same airbase.The Boeing C-32A (designated as Air Force Two) carrying VP Vance, escorted by Pakistan F16 jets, landed at the Noor Khan airbase at 10.29 am local time (0529 GMT). Two other planes carrying members of the US delegation and journalists also landed at the Noor Khan base. Vance was also accompanied by the US President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Vance was welcomed at the air base by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Asim Munir.Noor Khan Airbase was selected by the US delegation primarily for its proximity to Islamabad (25 km from the airbase), maximum security, logistics efficiency and its role as a major military transport and VIP aircraft landing hub.The strategic air base, which houses key assets of the Pakistan Air Force, was damaged when India “conducted high-impact air operations”. Although India did not disclose the missiles used in the attack, reports and sources then confirmed that BrahMos and SCALP air-launched missiles were used. Reports indicate that the hangar, runway and radar sites were damaged in the Indian attack. Last September, satellite imagery revealed that Pakistan had begun work on reconstructing the targeted airport.In early March this year, the Afghan Taliban had claimed to have carried out a drone attack on the same airport.Noor Khan (formerly Chaklala Airbase) is important as the headquarters of Pakistan’s Air Mobility Command, which handles key logistics, air refueling and VIP transportation. It supports strategic operations, hosts intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR platforms), and provides critical support to the nearby military headquarters and Strategic Planning Division, which protects nuclear assets.
