RAWALPINDI: The first-ever Pakistan-Egypt two weeks long joint air defence exercise – Sky Guards-1 – concluded at Cairo, according to a news release of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). Army Air Defence Command Commander Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan witnessed the final phase of live firing exercise and closing ceremony of the Pakistan-Egypt joint air defence exercise, it said. The troops of Pakistan Army’s air defence, Pakistan Air Force and Egyptian Air Defence Forces participated in the exercise of this kind. The two weeks long exercise was focused on the integration, synchronization, information gathering, interoperability and decision making of committing the air defence assets in a battle to offer an aggressive and prompt response to hostile air threat. The chief guest also witnessed live fire of different weapons including fire of Igla missile by the Pakistan Army’s air defence and Crotale missile by Pakistan Air Force’s air defence. Lt General Hamood Uz Zaman lauded the professionalism of participating troops and emphasized the need to be abreast with emerging trends and techniques. Pakistan Ambassador to Egypt Sajid Bilal, PAF Air Operations Director General Air Vice Marshal Abdul Moeed Khan, Brigadier General Emad Hagi, an observer from Bahrain, and large number of military officials from both the countries attended the ceremony.