South African Air Force (SAAF) Chief LT General Wiseman Simo Mbambo visited an official visit to Pakistan, where he met with the head of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) air manager Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu in the air headquarters in Islamabad, according to the military’s media wing.
After his arrival, the visitor was worthy of welcoming a formal honor of a smartly reversed quota by Pakistan Air Force, Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
During the meeting, the PAF chief highlighted the strong bilateral relationship between Pakistan and South Africa and emphasized the shared values and hopes that support the deeply rooted friendship of the two nations. He repeated PAF’s obligation to strengthen the air fighting functions of the South African Air Force through tailor-made training and capacity building initiatives according to ISPR.
General Mbambo paid tribute to PAF’s operational readiness and praised his warfare functions with several domains and its success in maintaining a credible deterrent. He acknowledged the high standards that were maintained by PAF and expressed his admiration for its technical expertise, added it.
A central focus in the discussions was the redevelopment of SAAF’s training regime. General Mbambo expressed his desire for PAF’s support to develop a modern and comprehensive training framework that began at the academic level.
He further requested the participation of SAAF officers as observers in PAF’s largest operational exercises to improve learning and promote collaboration according to the ISPR report.
In addition, the SAAF chief talked about the possibility of increasing technical cooperation between the two air forces, especially in the maintenance of aircraft.
LT General Mbambo, which recognized the cost-effective maintenance functions and technical expertise in PAF’s engineering infrastructure, conveyed the intention of the inspection and maintenance of its C-130 fleet in Pakistan.
The discussions highlighted a mutual desire to institutionalize and further strengthen the formal relationship between PAF and SAAF.
This meeting is expected to pave the way for deeper cooperation between the two forces, ensuring improved operational capabilities and shared military expertise.
