Sri Lankan Air Force chief praises Pakistan for ‘flawless execution’ of Indus Shield air exercise

ISLAMABAD: Air Marshal Rajapaksa Appuhamilage Udeni Priyadarshana Rajapaksa, commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force, on Friday praised the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for the “flawless execution” of Indus Shield 2024 air exercises that featured personnel from various friendly nations, the Pakistani military said.
Indus Shield-2024 is the largest multinational regional exercise in which air forces from 24 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye, were taking part, aiming to foster interoperability and training through state-of-the-art facilities, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
The aerial exercise featured the participation of various air chiefs and high-ranking military officials from allied countries who witnessed the mega event. It highlighted the premier multi-domain warfighting capabilities of the Pakistan Air Force and reinforced the importance of collaboration among air forces worldwide.
During his official visit to witness the exercise, Air Marshal Rajapaksa called on PAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at the Air Headquarters in Islamabad, with the meeting covering a wide array of topics pertaining operational matters in the context of regional security.
“The Commander of Sri Lankan Air Force commended PAF’s achievements in indigenization and its strategic transformation into a Next Generation Air Force under current leadership,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Visiting dignitary lauded the professionalism of PAF personnel and praised the role played by Pakistan Air Force in the organization and flawless execution of the mega event to bring together all the top air powers from across the globe.”
During the meeting, the PAF chief shared insights into various ongoing modernization projects of the Pakistan Air Force’s operational construct, force goals and plans for the force structure with a keen focus on future warfare, according to the statement.
The Sri Lankan air chief expressed his desire to further optimize the existing military ties between the two countries with a specific focus on basic and advanced trainings, maintenance and strengthening the operational competencies of the Sri Lankan Air Force.
“Chief of Air Staff Pakistan Air Force assured of all kind of support to friendly air force,” the ISPR added.