In a significant move to revive and expand military cooperation, Pakistan’s Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, is on an official visit to the United States — the first by a serving Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief in decades. The visit, hailed by Islamabad as a “strategic milestone,” is seen as a renewed attempt by Pakistan to bolster defence relations with Washington.
Sidhu’s trip follows the high-profile visit of Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who was notably hosted by former US President Donald Trump at a private luncheon — a rare gesture for a foreign military leader. Munir’s visit came shortly after escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, during which Trump controversially claimed to have brokered a ceasefire, a claim firmly denied by New Delhi.
During his US tour, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu met with US Air Force Chief of Staff General David W. Allvin and Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs Kelly L. Seybolt. Both sides reportedly explored new avenues for military cooperation, including joint training programs, technology exchanges, and strategic dialogue.
The Pakistan Air Force said the visit “not only reaffirmed the PAF’s commitment to promoting regional and global peace, but also laid the foundation for institutional cooperation, strategic dialogue, and joint operations between the PAF and the US Air Force.”
Sidhu also engaged with prominent US lawmakers, including Congressmen Mike Turner, Rich McCormick, and Bill Huizenga, further signaling Pakistan’s intent to strengthen defence diplomacy on Capitol Hill.
The back-to-back visits of Pakistan’s top military leadership — first the army chief and now the air chief — suggest a calculated diplomatic initiative aimed at reinforcing ties with Washington amid shifting global alignments and regional security challenges.
As Islamabad attempts to reposition itself as a key defence partner to the US, observers will be watching closely to see how this evolving cooperation unfolds amid ongoing tensions in South Asia and a volatile global security landscape.