A group of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) arrived at the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to participate in the “Indus Shield 2023” military exercise, which commenced Monday and is expected to last for a month.

The air exercise was a splendid display of international camaraderie and airpower, as forces from the 14 nations flocked to Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) Airpower Centre of Excellence (ACE), Times of Islamabad reported.

The exercise, in which the RSAF is participating alongside its counterparts from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Turkiye, as well as observers from eleven other countries, aims to strengthen the bonds of cooperation among the participating forces, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

The treaty also aims to enhance the exchange and acquisition of expertise in the field of joint operations. It seeks to improve the combat readiness of air forces for effectively executing assigned missions and provides training in air combat operations within an international coalition framework.

Additionally, the exercise involves the implementation of joint operations concepts in simulated environments that replicate real warfare conditions.

Apart from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye, other nations participating in the event - as observers – include: UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Morocco, Uzbekistan, China and Hungary.

In another development, Chinese Zhanjiang City on Monday witnessed the launch of the second mixed naval drill “Blue Sword” with the participation of the Special Forces of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and its Chinese counterpart.

The three-week drill aims to build mutual trust, enhance cooperation between the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and the Chinese Navy, exchange expertise, and develop participants’ capacity in combating maritime terrorism and piracy, as well as upgrade training and combat readiness for participating forces. (SPA; Times of Islamabad; Photo © Pakistan Air Force)