Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Shareef inspects the parade at the induction ceremony for new F-16 fighter air crafts at PAF base Mushaf. PHOTO: PAF
"In the event of military conflict an effective air force creates a favourable fighting environment for the national military effort and provides a position of advantage," he said while speaking at a ceremony in Sargodha that marked the re-equipment of 19 Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) with ex-Royal Jordanian F-16 aircrafts.
Commenting on the efforts against the fight against terrorism, the army chief further said that PAF and Pakistan Army were committed towards greater integration and cooperation in order to get the desire effects in this regard.
Praising the PAF, Sharif remarked that the "PAF has always maintained the highest state of operational preparedness and professional excellence."
The army chief said that "this day will surely be remembered as a landmark in the history of sherdils of PAF."
He further added that the country's air force has "measured up to the expectations of the people in safeguarding the sacred soil and skies of Pakistan."
Speaking about the improvement in the relationship between the Pakistan and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as a result of the provision of new aircrafts, the COAS said that the "transfer of these fighting falcons on mutually beneficial terms has further strengthened the historic relationship."
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@B: What is the problem on the maintenance side? PAF has contracts with the TAI which supplies spares for F-16s to not only the PAF but also to all the Middle Eastern Air forces flying the aircraft. Pakistan's relations with the US are on an even keel so spares are not an issue. If the Americans did put some pressure, Pakistan can actually use the older Jordanian airframes as spares by cannibalizing them. The F-16s are a very potent platform in the Indo-Pak context even when IAF inducts their Rafales given the upgrades to the F-16s can keep the aircraft viable well into the future.
LastWord perhaps has the IAF in mind when he mentions obsolete. JF-17 is easily flying with avionics which are very relevant in catering to the threats that Pakistan faces from India.
@hamza khan: Indian troll or an Israeli troll. Can you confirm his statement on the maintenance side without which these jets his zero value.
@hamza khan: So you are a superior poke eater????????
hopefully these new aircrafts will help improve in combat
some great words by the army chief but lets see what happens in the future!
and the air force!
Long live the army!
@Last Word:
indian troll alert. inferiority complex some, veggie boy?
Pakistan with financial constraints has no option but to buy 30 years old aircrafts from the Jordan junkyard. An old F-16 is still far better than the obsolete Chinese JF-17 but the problem would be of maintenance and getting spares either from Jordan which has none and also from US as it was not a direct purchase.
@ John
Since last 5+ years, when did Army become kingmakers on the political circuit ?
@john.... stop with your whining already!
Very well said and hence the respect they enjoy.When is Army going to learn some 'professionalism" from Airforce by acting like paid servants and not as kingmakers on the political circuit?
I know PAF is best, right now it is practicing to drop bombs on militants and could not crashed down 2 helicopter who entered in Faisalabad and remained in the air for several minutes BUT PLEASE PAF stop flying after 8 p.m because my old sick father could not sleep due to jets voice in Karachi and many more might be disturb also.
Its time now for Pakistan to plan to design and build Helicopters. An honest attempt must be made with willing European counties to collaborate in building Helicopters indigenously. We must put our talent to work. What tanks are to land helicopters to sky. Helicopters comes in use during crisis like floods,evacuations, food droppings and saving lives. Pakistan need not concentrate all its military manufacturing facilities in Punjab.
Solely professional excellence and preparedness are insufficient to defend Pakistani airspace and territory; vital tools are an indispensable element to this calculus. Pakistan needs comprehensive radar coverage that can look into an enemy's airspace to identify incoming threats before they reach Pakistani territory. PAF needs a fleet of at least a 600 modern fighter jets to defeat such incoming threats under current circumstances, it also needs comprehensive security for its air bases so that terrorists/enemy agents cannot attack its assets on the ground. Pakistan needs sophisticated high altitude SAMs to deal with threats that actually do make it into Pakistani airspace. Once all of this is done, can our military chiefs claim to measure up "to the expectations of the people in safeguarding the sacred soil and skies of Pakistan."