THE remarks made by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu during his address to the graduation ceremony at the PAF Academy in Risalpur on Tuesday are not only a source of pride and inspiration for the PAF but also for the entire nation, as they offered a concise yet compelling analysis of the force’s thought-provoking performance during the May conflict with India and its capability to safeguard national interests in the event of any future misadventure by the enemy.
He said the PAF conducted full-spectrum, multi-domain operations, employing elements of space, electronic warfare, long-range vectors, unmanned aerial systems, killer drones and loitering munitions, and that the world was stunned to witness the superb execution of this operation.
It can be said without fear of any contradiction that the PAF dominated the war scenario and its matchless professionalism was one of the major factors behind Pakistan’s resounding victory and humiliating defeat of the power-drunk enemy. The way the PAF executed its war plan, under the guidance of its Chief, thoroughly demoralized Indian forces and the May war will continue to be taught as a study case in war colleges around the globe. The Air Chief rightly pointed out that the fierce aerial engagement is being regarded as one of the most intense and longest battles in modern aerial history, leaving the enemy’s skies silent for the remainder of the conflict. The PAF upheld its legacy of fighting outnumbered and shot down the enemy’s most modern and capable aircraft — including multiple Rafales, Su-30MKIs, Mirage 2000s, MiG-29s and unmanned aerial systems — with solid evidence and electronic signatures. It is a matter of pride for people of Pakistan that the PAF responded to the enemy’s pre-emption on May 10, alongside the Pakistan Army, with a paralyzing punch, striking their bases and ground assets deep inside the enemy’s territory from north to south, besides neutralizing the state-of-the-art S-400 air defence system and command-and-control centres. More important were remarks of the Air Chief Marshal that the PAF could have gone further but it stuck to a mature strategic culture, which meant Pakistan’s actions and operations were effective, yet calibrated and balanced. This pronouncement delivers a strong message to the enemy.
