The regional environment demands an ever vigilant role for the PAF and in the face of the present security challenges, Pakistan’s preparedness and response has to be precise and expeditious, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt said on Thursday.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the PAF Triennial Command level Air Exercise Saffron Bandit at an operational Air Base, he said it was through the rigorous training imparted by exercises like Saffron Bandit that the PAF looks forward to maintaining the cutting edge of the force.
“We are a peace-loving nation but fully prepared to defend the integrity and solidarity of our motherland,” the air chief said.
Accentuating the nature of the aerial warfare the air chief emphasised that “combat training in the PAF is maintained at the highest pedestal of realism and responsiveness to meet the contemporary challenges. You must utilise the experiences gained in the best possible manner. While our quest to modernise PAF continues, we must remember that our generation will have to work even harder and offer greater sacrifices than the earlier ones”.
The Air Chief added, “The nature of aerial warfare continues to rise in complexity under a time compressed environment, and PAF being a professional outfit is totally focused on it. The nation pins high hopes in the Pak Fazaia, and we must never let it down.”
The eight months long Exercise Saffron Bandit commenced in October, 2012 and is conducted in PAF since 1994. This time, the environment was unique where modern capabilities of PAF were operating under one umbrella for the first time. The Pakistan Army Aviation and Army Air Defence were also deployed for undertaking the exercise. The prime objective of the exercise was to excel in the air combat capability with focus on Air Power employment in any future conflict.