PAF chief awarded Indonesian Air Force’s highest honour

Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), called on Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during his official visit to Indonesia, as both sides explored avenues for expanding bilateral defence cooperation.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Air Chief highlighted the shared values and longstanding brotherhood between Pakistan and Indonesia, underscoring the importance of deepening collaboration in the aerospace and defence sectors.

President Prabowo expressed keen interest in leveraging PAF’s state-of-the-art training ecosystem and aerospace development infrastructure to enhance Indonesia’s defence capabilities.

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During his visit, the Air Chief also held separate high-level meetings with Indonesian Defence Minister Lieutenant General (Retd) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and the Indonesian Air Chief. He was accorded a Guard of Honour at all official venues.

In discussions with the Indonesian Air Chief, both sides agreed to enhance Air Force-to-Air Force cooperation, including joint training programmes ranging from basic to advanced levels, professional exchanges, and collaboration in emerging aerospace domains.

The Indonesian Air Chief sought PAF’s support in advancing operational and flying training, acknowledging the force’s rich combat experience and operational expertise.

In recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral air power cooperation, the Air Chief was conferred the Medal of Honour — the highest award of the Indonesian Air Force.

The Indonesian leadership also appreciated PAF’s professionalism and ongoing modernization drive, while lauding the advanced technological infrastructure of the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park.

The visit is seen as part of broader efforts to reinforce defence ties between the two brotherly nations amid evolving regional security dynamics.