A high-level South African defence delegation, led by the Acting Secretary for Defence Dr. Thobekile Gamede, met with Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, on March 17th in Islamabad.
According to the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, ISPR, during the meeting, the Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force reiterated the commitment to collaborate with the South African Air Force in military cooperation and the training sector.
Dr. Thobekile Gamede praised the professionalism and achievements of the Pakistan Air Force, highlighting its success in the area of cutting-edge technological advancements. He expressed the desire for cooperation from the PAF for the modernization and maintenance of critical equipment. The senior official also expressed a sincere interest in strengthening the existing cooperation between the Air Forces of both countries. This includes cooperation for greater collaborative efforts to revamp training facilities, from basic to tactical levels, across multiple domains of warfare.
The South African delegation also expressed its intention to re-equip its Air Force and to establish an industrial setup in line with the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park, spearheaded by the Pakistan Air Force.
The Chief of Air Staff of the Air Force expressed his commitment to further consolidate the existing military ties between the two countries.
Discussions focused on mutual interests, reviewing existing cooperation, and exploring new collaborations in areas such as cybersecurity, space technology, artificial intelligence, research, technology transfer, and defence industry capacity building.
Overall, the military collaboration between South Africa and Pakistan is characterized by a growing commitment to mutual cooperation, exploring opportunities for joint ventures, technology sharing, training, and potentially, arms trade.
