A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) contingent, including JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets, along with air and ground crew, has arrived in Saudi Arabia to participate in the multi-national aerial combat exercise, “Spears of Victory-2025”, the military’s media wing announced on Tuesday.
This year’s exercise features fighter jets and combat support elements from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, the UAE, the UK, and the US.
“For this international deployment, PAF fighters flew nonstop from their home base in Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, performing inflight air-to-air refueling, thereby demonstrating the long-range operational capabilities of the JF-17 Block-III aircraft,” the PAF statement said.
During the exercise, PAF pilots will operate JF-17 Thunder jets equipped with advanced AESA radars and extended-range beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles. They will engage in simulated combat scenarios against air forces equipped with a wide array of modern combat aircraft.
Saudi Arabia hosts the “Spears of Victory” exercise annually. Last year’s event involved more than 60 aircraft from nine participating nations.
