Pakistan Air Force Chief Meets with Chinese Defence Minister

The Chief of Air Employees (CAS) of the Pakistan Air Power (PAF), Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmad Babar, met with Chinese language Defence Minister Dong Jun in Beijing on Tuesday, 08 April, 2025.

In keeping with the International Occasions, the high-level assembly centered on strengthening bilateral navy cooperation between the 2 nations amid evolving regional safety challenges.

Defence Minister Dong emphasised that China and Pakistan are “all-weather” strategic cooperative companions with an “unbreakable friendship” that has been strengthened regardless of shifting worldwide dynamics. 

He highlighted vital progress achieved by the 2 militaries in recent times, significantly in strategic communication, joint workouts, and personnel exchanges.

Dong particularly famous the rising significance of the “Shaheen (Eagle)” sequence of joint air workouts between the PAF and the Folks’s Liberation Military Air Power (PLAAF).

He reaffirmed China’s dedication to working with Pakistan to “additional strengthen navy communication and coordination, deepen sensible cooperation throughout numerous fields, and collectively uphold regional and international peace and stability.”

ACM Babar described the Pakistan-China relationship as a cornerstone of Pakistan’s overseas coverage, emphasizing that Pakistan extremely values the standard friendship between the 2 nations. 

He expressed the PAF’s willingness to additional strengthen communication, exchanges, and institutional cooperation with China whereas sustaining high-level joint workouts and coaching to deal with evolving safety challenges.

Notes and Feedback

The assembly between the PAF CAF and China’s defence Minister comes amid Pakistan’s rising reliance on Chinese language aerospace and defence expertise for its modernization efforts.

In recent times, the PAF has made a number of high-profile acquisitions from China, most notably the procurement of roughly 20 J-10CE multi-role fighters. 

The J-10CE represents a big functionality improve for the PAF, introducing a 4.5-generation fighter with an energetic electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the PL-15E, which provides a said attain of 145 km, making it the PAF’s longest-ranged air-to-air missile in service.

The PAF has additionally invested closely in Chinese language air defence programs, buying each the HQ-9BE long-range surface-to-air missile system and the medium-range HQ-16FE. 

These programs kind important elements of Pakistan’s built-in air defence community, offering multi-layered protection in opposition to numerous aerial threats.

Within the unmanned aerial programs (UAS) area, the PAF inducted the Chinese language-made Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance drones, enhancing its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities whereas including precision strike choices.

Maybe most importantly, the PAF has expressed energetic curiosity in buying China’s next-generation J-35AE stealth fighter. This potential acquisition would signify a watershed second for the PAF, doubtlessly introducing fifth-generation capabilities to its fighter fleet for the primary time.

This sustained procurement sample highlights a notable shift in Pakistan’s defence acquisition technique. 

Whereas the PAF traditionally appeared to Western suppliers, significantly the USA, for cutting-edge navy expertise, China has now develop into each Pakistan’s principal provider in amount and its primary qualitative functionality driverF.

This transition represents a big evolution within the Pakistan-China defence relationship. Quite than merely offering alternate options to Western gear, Chinese language programs at the moment are enabling the PAF to entry new applied sciences and capabilities that will in any other case be troublesome to acquire.