BEIJING – Chinese and Pakistani air forces wrapped up the half-month-longShaheen VIII joint exercises in northwestern China, during which systematicmock battles were conducted for the first time.
Multiple types of warplanes, surface-to-air missiles and radarinstallations from the two air forces took part in the mock battles,according to a statement issued by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA) Air Force.
The red team was from China’s air force, and the blue team was acombination of Chinese and Pakistani troops.
About 50 warplanes, including fighter jets and early warning aircraft tookpart in the mock battles consisting of seizing air superiority and groundattack.
This marked an unprecedented joint exercise between China and a foreigncountry with the most number of personnel, types of weapons and combatunits involved, the statement said.
Read Top Stories
During the exercises, pilots from both countries also boarded each other’swarplanes and discussed combat techniques.
Chinese warplanes including J-10, J-11, J-16, Su-30 fighter jets, JH-7fighter bombers and KJ-500 early warning aircraft participated in theexercises.
The Shaheen series joint exercises started as a one-on-one dogfight, butnow it has evolved into systematic mock battles featuring more warplanes,multiple military branches which include ground forces that deploy missilesand electronic countermeasures, Xin Xin, commander of the red team airformation said.
