Pakistan Air Force would undertake one of its largest exercises - Highmark 2005 - spanned over four weeks, involving its entire men and fleet to test new doctrines amidst changed regional and global realities
from Sunday.

"We will check our capabilities to respond to threats in an environment that has changed considerably in the past ten years," Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) Air Vice Marshal Shahzad Hassan Chaudhry told newsmen at the Air Headquarters on Thursday.

The Pakistan Air Force held its last major exercise in 1995, as later planned exercises were not held due to rapidly changing situation in the region, particularly after Indian and Pakistan's nuclear test in 1998, the 9/11 and the stand off with India in 2002.

"The PAF has upgraded its aircraft, avionics, weapon systems, ground based radars and now it is time to test these," Chaudhry said.

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