BEIJING: The China and Pakistan joint air force drills recently concluded in Northwest China are beneficial to both countries in terms of skills, tactics, and interoperability, said Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert.
Fu told a Chinese daily that the two nations use different training approaches, but at the same time fly the same aircraft, the J-10C, so both can learn from each other.
China and Pakistan successfully wrapped up the Shaheen-X joint air exercise in Northwest China, with analysts predicting more military interactions and exchanges that will further expand pragmatic cooperation between the “Iron Brothers.”
The J-10C and JF-17 fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) contingent on Tuesday landed back at an operational air base in Pakistan after successful participation in the joint air drills in China.
Drill validates interoperability between Pakistan and China
Aimed at validating interoperability between Pakistan and China in the face of realistic contemporary air combat scenarios, the drill was a collaborative endeavour that helped in the exchange of valuable insights and lessons learned.
Footage of the drills showed that the Shaheen-X was an operational exercise that deepened brotherhood, enhanced professional skills and operational preparedness, created synergy, and shared cultural values.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force dispatched war jets including the J-16 fighter plane to the joint drill, the video showed.
The exercise, the tenth edition in the Shaheen exercise series, started on 28 August in Jiuquan, Northwest China’s Gansu Province and Yinchuan, Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
In addition to fighters, other types of jets like early warning aircraft and ground equipment, including radar installations and communications units, and ground-to-air missile systems, also participated in the exercise that practiced typical combat scenarios such as joint air defense and joint countermeasures.
