Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), met Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during his official visit to Indonesia, with both sides underscoring the need to further strengthen defence cooperation, military’s media wing said on Friday.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting focused on the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Indonesia, shared values, and avenues to enhance bilateral defence ties.

The air chief highlighted the strong historical links between the two countries, while President Prabowo expressed keen interest in leveraging PAF’s state-of-the-art training ecosystem and aerospace development infrastructure to boost Indonesia’s defence capabilities.

Earlier, the air chief held separate high-level meetings with Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and the chief of the Indonesian Air Force. He was accorded a guard of honour at all venues.

During talks with the Indonesian Air Force chief, both sides agreed to enhance air force-to-air force cooperation, expand joint training from basic to advanced levels, promote professional exchanges, and collaborate in emerging aerospace domains.

The Indonesian air chief acknowledged PAF’s combat experience and training expertise and sought support in operational and flying training.

In recognition of his role in strengthening bilateral air power cooperation, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu was conferred the “Medal of Honour,” the highest award of the Indonesian Air Force.

The air chief also held a joint meeting with the Indonesian defence minister and chief of defence forces, where a wide range of defence and security matters were discussed.

Indonesian leaders appreciated PAF’s professionalism and modernisation drive, and lauded the advanced technological capabilities of Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park.

The visit was described as a significant step towards deepening defence cooperation, air force linkages, and the broader strategic partnership between Pakistan and Indonesia.