Posted on 09/10/2017 4:46:18 PM PDT by BBell
Last week, the Pakistan Air Force and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Air Force (PLAAF) began joint training exercises dubbed “Shaheen VI” in China.
The exercises began on Thursday and will run until September 27.
According to Xinhua, China’s state news agency, a spokesperson for the PLAAF noted that China had sent a wide range of aerial assets and troops, including Shenyang J-11 twin-engine multirole fighters, Xian JH-7 fighter-bombers, KJ-200 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, and surface-to-air missile crews and radar operators.
Xinhua added that Pakistan had sent an undisclosed number of JF-17 Thunder fighters and its own early warning aircraft—likely Pakistan’s Shaanxi ZDK-03 K. Eagle or Saab 200 Erieye—to the exercises.
The JF-17 Thunder (known also as the FC-1 Xiaolong) single-engine, lightweight, multi-role fighter was co-developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry group. The Pakistan Air Force is the only current operator of the aircraft.
The Shaheen series of exercises between the two countries, who are close partners, began in March 2011 and has since gone through five major iterations.
Last year’s exercise, Shaheen V, ran through April. Pakistan and China have increased air force coordination in joint operations in the meantime.
According to Shen Jinke, a PLAAF spokesperson, the objective of the latest drill is “to build a world-class air force, we need to learn from foreign armies and improve our capability to complete multiple tasks.”
Increased aerial coordination between China and Pakistan could have a range of operational applications, ranging from counterterrorism operations against nonstate groups in China’s northeast to more complex operations during a potential future conflict with India.
Turkey was an ally allowing us to forward position military equipment to oppose the USSR, but now they are a demographic threat to Europe and a military nuisance in the Middle East.
Pakistan was our friend, but then let out all of their nuclear secrets and may not be doing all they can to counteract Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
We pivoted toward China to break up a potential alliance between China and the USSR, but China is an enemy of Taiwan, Japan, etc. and a supporter of the Norks.
Which side of the Islamic conflict should we take: Shia or Sunni or both or neither?
How much do we really care about Tibet? Afghanistan? Ukraine? The Baltic Nations? Do we care enough to go to war over them?
Arrahu ackbar.
The creation of Pakistan was one of the biggest mistakes of the 20th century - a century filled with a lot of big geopolitical mistakes. We’re still facing the costs of that mistake and will be for decades to come.
Neither can be considered friends of the US..
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