ISLAMABAD: The first air defense exercise between Pakistani and Egyptian forces is underway in Egypt, Pakistan’s military said on Friday evening.
Code-named “Sky Guard-1,” the two-week drill commenced in Cairo on Wednesday.
“Joint exercise is aimed to bolster the military cooperation between two countries in face of existing and emerging threats in air defense domain,” the Pakistani military’s media wing, ISPR, said in a statement.
“The exercise will focus on greater integration, interoperationability, synergy, information gathering, decision making of air defense tentacles to generate a comprehensive response against multiple hostile air threats in battle,” ISPR said.
Egypt’s defense ministry in a statement welcomed its first air drill with Pakistan, as reflecting “advanced military cooperation between both the Egyptian and Pakistani Armed Forces.”
Defense ties between Pakistan and Egypt have strengthened since February, when Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to expand Pakistan-Egypt ties.
On Feb. 17, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo, where they agreed to bolster counterterrorism cooperation
Soon after Qureshi’s visit, Egypt’s Defense Minister Gen. Muhammad Zaki arrived in Pakistan to discuss strengthening military cooperation between the two countries.
