The opening ceremony of first-ever Pakistan-Egypt joint air defence exercise “Sky Guard-1” 2021 was held in Cairo on Friday.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations, the two-week-long joint exercise is aimed to bolster the military cooperation between two countries in face of existing and emerging threats in the air defence domain.
“The exercise will focus on greater integration, synergy, interoperationability, information gathering, decision making of air defence tentacles to generate a comprehensive response against multiple hostile air threats in battle,” the communiqué read.
The ISPR said that the participating troops will exchange operational drills and procedures to meet the future battlefield environment. It further said that the troops of Pakistani and Egyptian air defence tentacles will participate in the first-ever joint air defence exercise between the two friendly countries.
Director General Joint Staff Headquarters Lieutenant General Muhammad Chirag Haider witnessed the opening ceremony.
Egyptian Chief of Air Defence Major General Mohamed Hagezy Abdel Mawgood along with other military officials from both countries was also present on the occasion.
The air defence exercises include training on securing the airspace and vital assets while unifying concepts among participating elements to ensure the competent planning and administration of operations.
Prime Minister Imran Khan hailed Egypt’s efforts for reaching a ceasefire in Gaza during a phone call with President Abdel Fattah al Sisi on Wednesday last.
Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement that Khan underlined the depth of relations between the two countries and peoples, saying he is looking forward to tapping new vistas of fruitful cooperation between Egypt and Pakistan.
Sisi and Imran exchanged viewpoints on the latest developments regarding the Palestinian cause and recent incidents in the Gaza Strip. Imran said that his country is highly appreciating the Egyptian stance and successful efforts exerted by Cairo to reach a ceasefire.
The prime minister underscored that Egypt’s stability is a milestone in the stability of the Middle East region and the Muslim world at large.
Sisi praised “positive” relations between Egypt and Pakistan. He reiterated keenness on promoting bilateral cooperation with Pakistan on all levels.