Russia and Pakistan launch first-ever joint military drill

Asia-Pacific, News September 28, 2016 , by IRIA No Comments

The first Friendship-2016 Russian-Pakistani joint military exercise is taking place in Pakistan from 24 September to 10 October 2016

Russian and Pakistani troops have come together in military exercises for the first time in a historic moment of cooperation between the former Cold War rivals.

The latest joint exercises may represent a shift towards closer Russo-Pakistan relations.

A series of war games known as Druzhba-2016 (Friendship-2016) kicked off on 24 September in Cherat in northern Pakistan.

Around 200 troops – 70 Russian and 130 Pakistani – are taking part in the Friendship 2016 war game. The Pak-Russia Army joint exercise began on September 24 and will conclude on October 10.

The exercise is taking place at the Army High Altitude School in northern Pakistan’s Rattu and at a special forces training center in Cherat in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Russian troops arrived on board an Il-76 military transport aircraft, fully equipped with mountain gear and ammunition. Russian personnel belong to Russia’s Southern Military District (SMD) mechanized infantry brigade, stationed in the Karachaevo–Cherkessian Republic.

Russia and Pakistan launch first-ever 2016 joint military drill

Russian and Pakistani troops take part in joint military exercise in Cherat, Pakistan. Photo: Ministry of defence of the Russian Federation

The exercise was first announced in January and is a signal that “Moscow and Islamabad are interested in deepening military-to-military relations,” Pakistan’s ambassador to Moscow Qazi Khalilullah told TASS. “This obviously indicates a desire on both sides to broaden defense and military-technical cooperation,” he said.

The Pakistan Army has said that the joint military exercise with Russia, which began last week, is progressing well. “It brings value on both sides,” Pakistan’s military spokesman Asim Bajwa said in a tweet.

Pak-Russia Army joint Exercise progressing smoothly,brings value on both sides.Comd Peshawar Corps visits&interacts. To conclude on 10 Oct pic.twitter.com/XbvOX7aSuS

— Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 27, 2016

Russia-Pakistan military exercise will involve experience sharing and will aim to develop coordination in carrying out practice combat tasks in a mountainous environment, including operations against illegal armed groups, according to Sputnik.

Lieutenant General Hidayat-ur-Rehman, the Commander of Peshawar Corps visited the troops taking part in the exercise in Cherat and interacted with them.

Army Chief General Raheel Sharif is expected to attend the concluding ceremony.

It is worth mentioning that the exercises are taking place despite speculation that they may be canceled, which surfaced after tensions between Pakistan and India escalated in the wake of the September 18 attack on Indian troops stationed in Uri, a town in the disputed province of Kashmir.

Pakistan and Russia have a defense cooperation agreement which was signed in November 2014, which provides for cooperation for promoting international security, intensification of counterterrorism efforts and arms control activities, strengthening collaboration in various military fields and sharing experiences.

Last year the two countries signed a deal on four Russian Mil Mi-35M attack helicopters, which are meant to replace Pakistan’s aging US-made AH-1 Cobras.