ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne said on Thursday that Pakistan’s armed forces were well-prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Visiting the site of the ongoing exercise Saffron Bandit 2012-13, being held at an operational base of the Pakistan Air Force, he said that in the prevailing complex global geopolitical environment the country faced both internal and external threats. Because of this readiness and war preparedness had attained enhanced significance.

Gen Wynne said the PAF was a potent and frontline element of national security and through the highest levels of professionalism it would always come up to the expectations of the nation.

“In fact, the nation and its sister services draw strength from the PAF's commitment and motivation,” he remarked.

Earlier, Gen Wynne observed the exercise from the air and analysed the complexities of aerial warfare.

Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, also participated in the exercise and examined the war preparedness of the PAF combat squadrons. While interacting with participants of the exercise after the flying mission, Gen Wynne said: “The opportunity to interact with the skilled air warriors and to practically fly with them in the Exercise Saffron Bandit has afforded me an insight into the high quality of training standards maintained by the PAF.”

Gen Wynne said it was heartening to see the PAF stepping into the future with its newly-acquired capabilities and emerging concepts of employment.

The Exercise Saffron Bandit is a triennial command level exercise being conducted by the PAF since 1994.—APP