ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The air force will employ strategic and conventional warfare strategies and live ammunition in the month-long war exercises scheduled to commence on Sunday from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea.

Briefing newsmen at the Air Headquarters about Exercise Highmark-05, being conducted after a gap of 10 years, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Air Vice-Marshal Shahzad Aslam Chaudhry said the PAF would employ the concept of future warfare in the exercises being held for the first time since Pakistan and India went nuclear in 1998.

When asked if the strategic capability would be tested, AVM Shahzad said “the entire gambit of operations would be undertaken.” He said: “The PAF retains a strategic capability and tests that on a continued basis.”

All type of weapons in the inventory of the PAF, both general and precise, would be used during the three stages of the exercise, he said.

Asked if the PAF would respond with strategic weapons in case of a first strike by the enemy, AVM Chaudhry said the decision would have to be taken at the political and strategic level at that time.

In reply to a question about the threat perceptions for the exercise, he said the entire fleet of the PAF was involved to prepare to counter a threat from within the region.

He said the PAF could not conduct the exercise in 1998 as it was required to be deployed after the nuclear tests. He said the exercise could not take place in 2001 because of the high state of readiness following the 9/11 attacks in the United States. In 2002, the exercise could not be conducted because of heightened tension with India, he said.

He said a detailed briefing had been given to President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz about the exercise and both of them would witness it at various stages.

In reply to a question, he said the Indian defence forces were divided on the issue of cold start doctrine and it was still in a fluid stage.

Replying to a question about joint exercises with other countries, AVM Chaudhry said Jordan had extended an invitation and the PAF had plans to interact with all the friendly air powers in this regard.

Earlier, giving a presentation on Highmark-05, Air Commodore Sohail Aman said air operations in it were harmonized with land and naval operations to render high training value to combat and support elements of all the three services.

He said 8,200 sorties would be flown during the exercise in three stages, employing F-16s, Mirages, A-5, and F-7Ps.

During the exercise, PAF aircraft would fly a large quantum of operational sorties, higher than those planned in any previous exercise,” said an official statement.

The Air Headquarters said Highmark-05 was designed to validate some of PAF’s operational concepts and would bring out useful analysis for steering future force employment concepts as well as shaping training contours of future air combat.

Air Commodore Aman said the exercise would be conducted all over Pakistan and would involve live ammunition delivery at Tilla and Thall ranges.