Pakistan Air Force contingent comprising JF-17 Thunder Block-III fighter jets alongside air and ground crew has landed at the King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in a multi-national aerial combat exercise ‘Spears of Victory-2025’, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday.

“For this International deployment, PAF fighters flew non-stop from home base in Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, carrying out inflight Air-to-Air refuelling; showcasing long-range employment capabilities of JF-17 Block-III Aircraft,” the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

PAF pilots flying AESA and Extended Range BVR Equipped JF-17 Thunder would be pitched against participating air forces equipped with a wide variety of sophisticated combat aircraft.

“The exercise is witnessing participation of fighter jets and combat support elements from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bahrain, France, Greece, Qatar, UAE, UK and USA,” it said.

It is the fifth cycle of the exercise by the Royal Saudi Air Force. “It provides an excellent opportunity to bolster interoperability within the participating air forces in the backdrop of technological advancement, increasing complexity in airpower application and shared aerial defence challenges.”