Rawalpindi, January 12, 2026 — Pakistan and Indonesia have agreed to further strengthen bilateral defence relations, placing particular emphasis on enhanced cooperation between their air forces in the areas of training, capacity building and advanced aerospace collaboration.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a senior defence delegation led by Indonesia’s Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General (Retd) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, met Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, NI (M), HJ, Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, at Air Headquarters in Islamabad. The engagement followed the recent state visit of the Indonesian President, reflecting growing strategic alignment between the two countries.
The meeting reaffirmed the longstanding and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Indonesia, with both sides reviewing existing defence cooperation and exploring new avenues to expand collaboration at the air force level. Discussions focused on professional training exchanges, institutional capacity development and technological cooperation, aimed at enhancing operational effectiveness.
During the interaction, the Air Chief briefed the visiting delegation on the Pakistan Air Force’s comprehensive modernisation programme, including infrastructure upgrades, reforms in training systems and the induction of specialised capabilities to meet the demands of multi-domain operational environments.
The Indonesian Defence Minister commended the Pakistan Air Force for its high standards of professionalism, combat readiness and progress in indigenisation, particularly under the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park initiative. He expressed strong interest in broadening cooperation in the aviation and aerospace sectors, including training and technical collaboration.
ISPR said the engagement highlighted the upward trajectory of Pakistan–Indonesia defence relations and underscored the mutual resolve to deepen cooperation through sustained dialogue and practical defence partnerships.
