Pakistan, China begin 9th Joint Air Exercise

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited an operational base of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Friday to witness the Pak-China Joint Air Exercise “Shaheen-IX”.

Shaheen-IX is the ninth in the series of joint exercises between the PAF and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) which started in 2011 and are held in Pakistan and China on alternate basis.

On arrival at the operational base, the COAS was received by Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of the Air Staff. Addressing the participants of exercise, the army chief said, “The joint exercise will improve combat capacity of both air forces substantially and also enhance interoperability between them with greater strength and harmony.”

General Bajwa said that such joint training ventures are vital to increase combat readiness of both countries to face emerging geo-strategic challenges. While interacting with the base personnel, the army chief lauded the professionalism and dedication of PAF and reiterated the importance of inter-services harmony and synergy for operational success. “The PAF’s cutting edge aside, what makes it second to none is the high morale and thorough professionalism of its personnel,” the COAS concluded.