The Pakistan Air Force has sent fighter jets and support aircraft to Saudi Arabia under a newly established defense agreement with the Saudi Ministry of Defense.
The deployment reportedly includes up to 18 fighter jets and support aircraft based at King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Province.
While the exact aircraft types have not been officially disclosed, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) operates a mixed fleet of multi-role fighters, including the JF-17 Thunder and F-16 Fighting Falcon, both capable of air defense, strike, and escort missions.
Support assets are likely to include transport aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and aerial refuelling platforms like the IL-78 Midas, which are used to extend range, sustain sortie rates, and enable longer-duration operations away from home bases.
In parallel with the air deployment, Pakistan has also reportedly sent around 13,000 military personnel, indicating a broader effort to support sustained joint operations, base security, and ground-based logistics.
The deployment is being carried out under the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, signed on September 17, 2025, in Riyadh by Shehbaz Sharif and Mohammed bin Salman. The agreement commits both countries to treat any attack on one as an attack on the other, creating a shared defense system and strengthening their ability to discourage potential threats.
The agreement also aims to deepen military cooperation between the two countries. This includes joint operations, training, and closer strategic coordination, building on decades of existing defense ties between Islamabad and Riyadh.
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