Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday inaugurated state-of-the-art Center of Integrated Air Defence Battle Management (CIADBAM) and said there was need for greater cooperation, integration and synchronisation to tackle complex and fluid future battle field challenges. Commander Army Air Defence Command, Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan briefed the COAS regarding Air Defence battle management procedures and complete functioning of newly built CIADBAM, said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) media release received here. Commending Pakistan Army Air Defence which has progressed phenomenally over the years and was ready to take on any misadventure by enemy in aerial frontiers of Pakistan, the COAS appreciated their professionalism, expressing complete satisfaction on operational readiness. It added that Pakistan Army Air Defence was equipped with sophisticated, highly accurate and lethal long range weapon systems. CIADBAM will provide an integrated environment for synchronised and effective articulation of Air Defence battle from top tier of command down to individual weapon system. Simulator complex in the facility is capable of projecting various dynamic scenarios which can be configured and developed as per the latest intricacies and challenges of Air Defence Battle. PAKISTAN ARMY TAKES PART IN ‘PEACE MISSION’ JOINT DRILL: Meanwhile, a contingent of Pakistan Army participated in the opening ceremony of “Peace Mission” joint exercise under the ambit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) platform held at Donguz training area, Orenburg region in Russia, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Wednesday. The military’s media wing said that Colonel General Alexander Pavlovich Lapin, Commander of Central Military District Russian armed forces was the chief guest at the opening ceremony. “Troops from all Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states are participating in the exercise under extremely challenging field environment. Belarus is taking part in the exercise as an observer,” it added. ISPR said that a tri-services contingent of the Pakistan Army is participating in the military drills. The exercise is focused on anti-terrorist operations and best practices in the counter-terrorism domain, it further said. The joint exercises are seen as another step in growing military-to-military cooperation, indicating steady growth in the relationship between the two countries, whose ties had been marred by Cold War rivalry for decades. PAKISTAN, TURKEY, AZERBAIJAN CONCLUDE DRILLS: Separately, a two-week long trilateral exercise between military contingents of Pakistan, Turkey and Azerbaijan in Baku has also concluded, said a statement by the ISPR. The exercise ‘Three Brothers – 2021’ involved special forces from the three countries. It was focused on the capability to counter regional terrorism threats in a hybrid scenario, fostering combined force interoperability, joint force integration and enhancement of capabilities in amphibious operations, the ISPR added. The chief guest of the final exercise was Azerbaijan Minister of Defence Zakir Hasanov. Azerbaijan’s Commander of Special Forces General Hikmat Mirzayev along with observers from Kazakhstan and Major General Mumtaz Hussain from Pakistan also attended the final ceremony. The gathering witnessed the final phase of joint training that included live-fire of different weapons including kamikaze drones, helicopters and small arms, the ISPR said.