The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pursues a strategic ‘dual-patron, dual-track’ approach through its engagement with the United States Air Force (USAF) and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). By combining North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-style professionalism and platform proficiency with China’s ‘system-of-systems’ doctrine, it seeks to recalibrate the regional balance against India. While the USAF provided the technical foundations through the F-16 programme, US security restrictions often limit tactical transparency in Western exercises. In contrast, the “Shaheen” exercise series with the PLAAF offers a transformative environment for mastering beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat and electronic warfare. The PAF has pursued a parallel engagement with its two patrons across capabilities, training, and doctrine, resulting in a uniquely networked architecture tailored to counter India.
(Rahul Rawat, Pragyan Agnihotri – Observer Research Foundation)
Two Patrons, One Strategy: Pakistan’s Air Power Transformation
