PAF Contingent to Participate in Multinational Aerial Combat Exercise

The exercise is organised by the Royal Saudi Air Force and includes participation from the air forces of Pakistan, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, the UAE, the UK, and the USA.

Sat Jan 18 2025
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ISLAMABAD: A contingent of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), comprising its advanced JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets and dedicated air and ground crews, has arrived at King Abdul Aziz Air Base in Saudi Arabia to participate in the multinational aerial combat exercise, ‘Spears of Victory 2025’.

The Spears of Victory exercise, in its fifth iteration, is organised by the Royal Saudi Air Force and includes participation from the air forces of Pakistan, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, the UAE, the UK, and the USA.

For this international deployment, PAF fighters flew nonstop from their home base in Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, carrying out in-flight air-to-air refuelling.

This manoeuvre showcased the long-range employment capability of the JF-17 Block-III, equipped with advanced AESA radar and extended-range Beyond Visual Range (BVR) weapon systems, according to a video shared on the Pakistan Air Force’s official YouTube channel.

During the conduct of the exercise, PAF pilots flying AESA and Extended Range BVR Equipped JF-17 Thunder will be pitched against participating Air Forces equipped with a wide variety of sophisticated Combat Aircraft.

The exercise provides an excellent opportunity to bolster interoperability within the participating Air Forces in the backdrop of technological advancement, increasing complexity in Airpower application and shared aerial defence challenges.

Participation of the Pakistan Air Force contingent in the exercise not only highlights PAF’s commitment to regional and international cooperation but also underscores its capabilities and prowess to operate in diverse and challenging environments amongst contemporary air forces.

PAF pilots will engage in simulated aerial combat against a wide variety of sophisticated aircraft fielded by participating nations. The exercise features mixed group formations conducting defensive counter-air and offensive counter-air operations, as well as air interdiction missions against live and simulated threats.

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