Pakistan Air Chief’s Uzbekistan Visit Boosts Defence Ties as Tashkent Seeks PAF’s Combat Expertise
Tashkent, The Gulf Observer: Pakistan and Uzbekistan have moved to deepen their defence cooperation. Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, held high-level meetings with Uzbekistan’s top defence and air force leaders during his official visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan on 14 November 2026. The meetings point to a closer strategic partnership between Islamabad and Tashkent.
The Air Chief met Uzbekistan’s Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Botir Qudrathodjayev Bahromovich. He also met Major General Burkhanov Akhmad Jamolovich, who is Deputy Defence Minister and Commander of Air Defence & Air Force of Uzbekistan. Both meetings focused on widening military collaboration, building institutional links and raising operational readiness. Both sides treat these as priorities in a fast-changing regional security environment.
Uzbekistan Praises PAF’s Combat Strength
In his meeting with the Defence Minister, the two sides discussed regional security, the current state of defence ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, and new prospects for institutional collaboration.
Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu spoke about the deep historical, cultural and brotherly bonds between the two nations. He described the relationship as one rooted in shared heritage and mutual trust, and said it provides a strong base for wider defence partnership.
Uzbekistan’s Defence Minister praised the professionalism, operational skill and combat capabilities of the Pakistan Air Force. He said Uzbekistan was keen to draw on PAF’s expertise and human resource potential to improve the operational readiness of the Uzbekistan Air Force. This is a clear sign that Tashkent sees PAF as a trusted partner for building its air power.
Air Force-to-Air Force Cooperation Takes Centre Stage
The second meeting, with the Deputy Defence Minister and Commander of Air Defence & Air Force of Uzbekistan, looked at practical cooperation between the two air forces. The talks covered several key areas:
Joint military exercises to build interoperability and battlefield coordination
Structured exchange programmes for officers and personnel
Sustained professional interactions at institutional and operational levels
Capacity-building initiatives to strengthen training and skills
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to improving operational readiness. They also agreed to widen professional collaboration in emerging technologies, using each country’s own expertise and technological capabilities.
Why the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Partnership Matters
The visit comes as Pakistan expands its strategic outreach across Central Asia, and Uzbekistan is one of its most important partners in the region. Defence cooperation now sits alongside the two countries’ diplomatic, cultural and economic ties. The two air forces are moving towards joint exercises, personnel exchanges and technology collaboration.
Uzbekistan’s open praise for PAF’s combat capability also adds to the Pakistan Air Force’s growing reputation abroad. Uzbekistan wants to use PAF’s training model and human resource strength, which shows that PAF is increasingly seen as a source of operational know-how for friendly air forces.
A Brotherly Bond Moving Forward
The meetings in Uzbekistan underline a shared vision between Islamabad and Tashkent: to turn long-standing goodwill into practical, institutional defence cooperation. With commitments on exercises, exchanges, capacity building and emerging technologies, the partnership between the Pakistan Air Force and the Uzbekistan Air Force is set to grow in scope and depth in the years ahead.
