Last week, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) kicked off Indus Shield 2024, a large-scale multinational air exercise involving as many as 24 other countries, including key partners like China and Turkiye as well as a growing roster of states from the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
This is the second iteration of Indus Shield, which the PAF launched in 2023. Compared to Indus Shield 2023, this year’s exercise has drawn the participation of 10 additional countries.
According to a PAF press release, Indus Shield 2024 is taking place across two locations at the same time. The PAF also highlighted the overarching goals of the exercise, such as enhancing interoperability between the participants, strengthening partnerships, and employing air-to-air and air-to-surface tactics.
However, looking at Indus Shield as only a large-scale drill undercuts many of the incentives the PAF has in running such programs. In fact, for the PAF, the main objective of Indus Shield may be strategic.
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