Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, concluded a landmark official visit to the United States marking the first by a serving head of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in over a decade aimed at revitalizing defence cooperation, deepening institutional ties, and advancing strategic convergence between Islamabad and Washington. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the high-level visit served as a pivotal milestone in Pakistan-U.S. defence relations, providing renewed impetus to bilateral military engagement and addressing critical regional and global security challenges. The Air Chief’s engagements throughout the visit underscored Pakistan’s central role as a stabilizing force in the region and reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to global counterterrorism and peacekeeping efforts.
At the Pentagon, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu held substantive meetings with senior U.S. military leadership, including Ms. Kelli L. Seybolt, Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force for International Affairs, and General David W. Allvin, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Discussions centered on advancing mutual military cooperation, enhancing interoperability, and exploring avenues for expanded joint training and technology exchange.
The Air Chief emphasized the strategic depth of Pakistan-U.S. defence relations, particularly in air domain operations, joint exercises, and institutional collaboration. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening military-to-military ties through sustained dialogue and capacity-building initiatives. Both sides acknowledged the evolving nature of warfare and agreed on the need to align defence cooperation with emerging technological paradigms and shared regional objectives.
In meetings at the U.S. State Department, the Air Chief met with senior officials including Mr. Brown L. Stanley from the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and Mr. Ervin Massinga from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. These engagements provided a critical platform for articulating Pakistan’s constructive role in regional peace, its unwavering resolve in counterterrorism operations, and its strategic clarity on the shifting geopolitical dynamics in South and Central Asia.
The Air Chief also visited Capitol Hill, where he engaged with prominent members of the U.S. Congress, including Representatives Mike Turner, Rich McCormick, and Bill Huizenga. The discussions reinforced the importance of parliamentary-level engagement in shaping long-term bilateral cooperation. The Air Chief shared Pakistan’s perspectives on regional stability, the implications of emerging technologies on defence policy, and the imperative for a balanced and inclusive regional security framework.
Throughout the visit, the Air Chief highlighted Pakistan’s identity as a peace-seeking nation with a legacy of sacrifice in the global fight against terrorism. He outlined Pakistan’s adaptive security posture in response to the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, while calling for renewed commitment from international partners to shared principles of mutual respect, sovereignty, and collective security.
This historic visit not only reaffirmed the Pakistan Air Force’s enduring commitment to regional and global peace but also laid the foundation for a revitalized institutional partnership between the Pakistan Air Force and the United States Air Force. The outcomes of the visit are expected to catalyze a new chapter of strategic dialogue, operational synergy, and enhanced bilateral engagement across all tiers of military cooperation.
