Pakistan Air Force

A modified US arms contract now includes Pakistan among buyers of Raytheon's AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, signalling renewed military ties between Washington and Islamabad

At least five crew members, including two pilots, died on Monday when the helicopter they were flying crashed in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan, officials said. The aircraft crashed in the Chilas area of Diamer district, Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said in a statement. One of our helicopters has crashed in Thor, Chilas, he said, adding the crew included two pilots and three technical staff. Diamer Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abdul Hameed, in a statement, said five casualties occurred due to the crash. The helicopter was conducting a test landing on a newly-proposed helipad, he added. The exact reason for the crash was not known. It is the second crash in recent weeks after a helicopter of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government crashed last month.

Now that both the IAF and PAF have made their formal claims of having shot down the other's aircraft in the 87-hour, predominantly aerial conflagration in May, we can ask a larger question

Pakistan's advanced JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets are set to participate in a UK military airshow, the Air Force announced in a statement here on Thursday. PAF's participation in RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo), one of the world's largest military airshows, underscores Pakistan Air Force's commitment to showcasing its professional excellence, the statement said, adding that the aircraft have already landed at the Royal Air Force Base Fairford. "JF-17 Block-III is an EASA Radar and Long Range BVR equipped 4.5 generation multi-role fighter aircraft which is capable of undertaking a wide variety of combat missions, bolstering airpower application in the face of contemporary challenges, thereby strengthening national security, the statement added. Pakistan claims to have used JF-17 in the recent conflict with India. The aircraft's combat-proven capabilities and operational excellence have garnered significant global attention, making its appearance at RIAT a highly ...

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Wednesday said recent conflicts globally have demonstrated how drones can "shift tactical balance disproportionately", and asserted that self-reliance in UAVs and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) is a "strategic imperative" for India. In his address at an event held at Manekshaw Centre here, Gen Chauhan also said Operation Sindoor has shown why indigenously developed Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and C-UAS "built for our terrain and our needs are crucial". A day-long workshop on 'Indigenisation of Critical Components Currently Being Imported from Foreign OEMs in the Areas of UAV & C-UAS' is being hosted by Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff (HQ-IDS), in collaboration with the think-tank Centre for Joint Warfare Studies. The event comes against the backdrop of recent India-Pakistan hostilities, including Operation Sindoor, which highlighted the strategic importance and operational effectiveness of UAVs and C-UAS, the Defence

Pakistan's Chief of the Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu paid an official visit to the US to further enhance bilateral defence cooperation after Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir recently undertook a similar tour. This was the first visit by a serving Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief in over a decade, an indication of stepping up military engagements between Pakistan and the US. The Chief of the Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, paid an official visit to the US, the first visit by any serving Air Chief of the Pakistan Air Force in over a decade, which will further enhance bilateral defence cooperation and mutual interests, a PAF statement said on Wednesday. This high-level visit is a strategic milestone in the Pak-US defence partnership. The visit will play a significant role in addressing key regional and global security issues as well as building institutional ties, it said. It further said Sidhu held several important meetings with th

Operation Sindoor highlights: India and Pakistan reached an understanding on the stoppage of firing and military action with effect from 5 pm on Saturday; catch all live updates here

Pakistan on Friday continued sending swarms of drones across the Indian border, with the military saying drones were sighted in 26 locations, ranging from Baramulla in north Kashmir to Bhuj in Gujarat. The military said drones were spotted in Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala. "Drones have been sighted at 26 locations ranging from Baramulla in the north to Bhuj in the south, along both the International Border and the Line of Control with Pakistan," it said. These include suspected armed drones posing potential threats to civilian and military targets, it added. "The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Awantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala," the military added. "Regrettably, an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in severe injuries to members of a local family," a ..

It is time for third-generation reforms to improve coordination between the two arms, as modern threats demand unified civilian-military responses, not siloed strategies

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the Pakistan Army was ready for an Indian attack, lauding his forces for the "swift response". Addressing a session of the Parliament amid escalated tensions between the two countries, Shehbaz claimed that the Pakistan armed forces destroyed five Indian jets. He, however, did not provide any evidence in support of his claim. "Last night, 80 Indian aircraft were part of the offensive, but Pakistan's air defence effectively neutralised the threat, he claimed. The Prime Minister lauded the Pakistan Air Force and its chief "for the swift response", saying that the armed forces had prior intelligence about India's plans. "We shot down five enemy jets, including Rafales, and also downed two Indian drones, he claimed, without providing any evidence to back up his claims. Referring to Rafale jets, the prime minister claimed Pakistan jammed their systems. "Our armed forces were on high alert round the clock and ready to defend the homel

Pakistan coalition government has endorsed an 18 per cent increase in defence spending to over Rs 2.5 trillion in the next budget due to tensions with India, according to a media report on Tuesday. The government is set to unveil the 2025-26 budget in the first week of the next month ahead of the start of the new fiscal year from July 1. India and Pakistan have witnessed heightened tensions since the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people. The Express Tribune reported that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) delegation, led by its chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his economic team to discuss the budget matters on Monday. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government shared roughly Rs 17.5 trillion worth of new budget framework with its key ally, the PPP, which agreed to 18 per cent increase in the defence outlay. There was a consensus between the PML-N and the PPP to increase the defence budget du

The Air Chief Marshal's remarks follow China's testing of suspected sixth-generation stealth jets and reports of Pakistan seeking fifth-generation jets from Beijing within two years

India on Monday "unequivocally" condemned Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan and said it is Islamabad's old practice to blame its neighbours for its internal failures. Pakistan carried out airstrikes in certain areas in Afghanistan in what it said was aimed at targeting some terrorist hideouts. "We have noted the media reports on airstrikes on Afghan civilians, including women and children, in which several precious lives have been lost. We unequivocally condemn any attack on innocent civilians," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "It is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures. We have also noted the response of an Afghan spokesperson in this regard," he said.

In under 24 hours, two previously unseen Chinese combat jets, likely sixth-generation designs, have emerged and appear to be undergoing flight testing

TTP-linked social media accounts claim all their commanders, including the media cell head, are alive and unharmed, refuting Pakistani security officials' assertions

These airstrikes have reportedly destroyed one of the training camps of Pakistani Taliban and have caused hundreds of casualties including women and children

Pakistan Air Force has reportedly approved the purchase of 40 J-35 stealth jets from China, with deliveries expected within two years

The sanctions aim to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and prevent further destabilising developments in the South Asian region

China has reportedly demanded that Pakistan sign an agreement on anti-terrorism cooperation to address Beijing's security concerns

Pakistan's Ra'ad family of air-launched cruise missiles is believed to be capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads