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| Pakistani Air Force JF-17 Fighter |
By Ankit Panda
The Pakistani and Chinese air forces honed their interoperability with the Shaheen-III exercise.
China and Pakistan concluded the three-week-long Shaheen-III air exercise on Wednesday. The exercise was the third installment of the Shaheen (Falcon) series of bilateral exercises between the two countries’ air forces, according to Defense News. The exercise is intended to boost cooperation between China and Pakistan and is a source of valuable experience for pilots on both sides. The exercise is “multi-dimensional” and involves operations in “near real [scenarios].”
“A contingent of People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), comprises combat pilots, air defence controllers and technical ground crew besides a Pakistan Air force (PAF) contingent are participating in the exercises[sic],” noted Air commodore Tariq Mehmood of the Pakistan Air Force. The PLAAF used its Chengdu J-10 and J-7 combat aircraft while the PAF used its JF-17 Thunder, Mirage, and F7 PG fighters. “The Air Exercises between the two professional Air Forces would not only cement the already existing friendly bonds but would also give an opportunity to learn from each other’s combat experience,” said one PAF spokesperson during the exercises. Shaheen-III is the first exercise in the series to involve the PAF’s JF-17 Thunder.
Read the full story at The Diplomat