Islamabad, Pakistan (Khyber Mail): A high-level defence delegation from the Republic of Rwanda, led by Lieutenant General Jean Jacques Mupenzi, Chief of Staff of the Rwandan Air Force, called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, at Air Headquarters, Islamabad. The visit marked a significant step towards establishing longstanding Air Force-to-Air Force ties between the two countries through the exploration of new avenues for cooperation in joint training initiatives.
Upon his arrival, a smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Air Force presented a Guard of Honour to Lieutenant General Jean Jacques Mupenzi.
During the meeting, the Chief of the Air Staff shared insights into various ongoing modernization projects of the Pakistan Air Force’s operational construct, force goals, and plans for future warfare. The Air Chief reiterated PAF’s unwavering support to provide capacity-building assistance to the Rwandan Air Force in upgrading its human resources, maintenance parameters, and operational training.
Lieutenant General Jean Jacques Mupenzi expressed his profound admiration for the Pakistan Air Force’s professional training standards, modernized infrastructure, and multi-domain capabilities. He noted that the PAF’s commitment to excellence and innovation in military aviation serves as a model for air forces to emulate. The Rwandan Air Chief emphasized the need for a major overhaul and collaboration to enhance the capabilities of Rwanda’s Air Force with assistance from PAF to meet contemporary security challenges. He also expressed a strong desire for a partnership with the Pakistan Air Force aimed at establishing comprehensive training programs for the basic-level training of aircrew and technical training of ground crew of the Rwandan Air Force.
The delegation also visited the National ISR & Integrated Air Operations Centre and PAF Cyber Command, where they were given a detailed briefing on PAF’s operational capabilities.
This visit by Lieutenant General Jean Jacques Mupenzi to Air Headquarters, Islamabad, is a testament to the strong desire of the Rwandan side to restructure their Air Force, utilizing the professional expertise of the Pakistan Air Force.