Sultan M Hali
The emerging defence partnership between Pakistan and Somalia represents far more than a conventional military arrangement. It reflects a convergence of strategic interests, institutional needs, and geopolitical realities. As Somalia rebuilds state structures after decades of conflict and instability, reviving its Air Force has become an important component of restoring national sovereignty and strengthening internal security. For Pakistan, the opportunity extends beyond defence exports; it lies in sharing a proven model of capacity building founded on affordability, sustainability, and operational experience.
This cooperation assumes greater significance against the backdrop of Africa’s evolving security landscape. Increasingly, African nations seek defence partners capable of delivering practical and cost-effective solutions rather than expensive military packages that create long-term dependencies. In this regard, Pakistan offers a compelling alternative.
Somalia’s principal challenge is not merely acquiring aircraft but rebuilding an aviation ecosystem. Air power cannot be created through platforms alone. Pilots must be trained, technicians developed, maintenance systems established, and operational doctrines institutionalised. Without these foundations, even advanced aircraft risk becoming expensive symbols rather than effective instruments of national security.
Pakistan’s experience is especially relevant in this context. Over the decades, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has earned recognition as one of the most professional and combat-tested air forces in the developing world. Its performance during regional conflicts and crises has reinforced a tradition of operational excellence, while its contributions to friendly nations and international security efforts have enhanced its prestige. Equally noteworthy has been the PAF’s ability to maintain high standards of training, technological adaptation, and operational readiness despite financial and strategic constraints.
For Somalia, access to such expertise could prove invaluable. Pakistani military academies and aviation institutions can help cultivate the human capital essential for sustaining an effective air arm. Programmes for pilots, engineers, technicians, maintenance crews, and air traffic controllers would yield greater long-term dividends than acquiring hardware alone. Defence capability ultimately rests upon people and institutions as much as machines.
Beyond training, Pakistan can assist Somalia in developing the institutional architecture necessary for an operational Air Force. Logistics chains, maintenance regimes, operational planning procedures, and command-and-control structures often determine whether military capability remains viable over time. By transferring expertise in these areas, Pakistan can help Somalia establish a self-reliant force rather than one dependent on external support.
When it comes to equipment, Somalia’s requirements are unlikely to revolve around sophisticated combat aircraft. Its security challenges point instead towards versatile and affordable platforms capable of supporting counterterrorism missions, border monitoring, humanitarian relief, and logistical operations. Trainer aircraft could form the foundation for pilot development, while light transport aircraft would improve mobility across a country where infrastructure constraints remain considerable. Utility helicopters for reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, troop transport, disaster response, and search-and-rescue missions would provide critical flexibility.
Equally significant are surveillance platforms and unmanned aerial systems. Modern security operations increasingly depend on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Drones offer persistent monitoring at comparatively modest cost and can significantly enhance situational awareness. For a country confronting dispersed security challenges, such capabilities may prove more valuable than high-end fighter aircraft.
Pakistan’s attractiveness as a defence partner derives not only from what it can provide but also from how it developed its own capabilities. Unlike major powers endowed with vast defence budgets, Pakistan has strengthened its institutions while confronting terrorism, insurgency, border-security challenges, maritime threats, and natural disasters. These realities have fostered a pragmatic approach to defence planning that prioritises effectiveness, adaptability, and fiscal responsibility.
Another advantage lies in Pakistan’s distinguished record in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Pakistani personnel have served across Africa and beyond, gaining valuable experience in stabilisation missions and institution building. Somalia itself occupies a special place in Pakistan’s peacekeeping history. On 5 June 1993, Pakistani peacekeepers suffered significant casualties during the Battle of Mogadishu while serving under the UN flag. That sacrifice established a bond of shared history that lends contemporary cooperation a deeper human dimension.
The implications of Pakistan-Somalia cooperation extend beyond military modernisation. Somalia occupies a pivotal position in the Horn of Africa, adjacent to maritime routes linking Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The sea lanes near its coastline carry a substantial share of global commerce and energy shipments, making the region a strategic crossroads of international trade.
For Pakistan, deeper engagement with Somalia could become part of a broader outreach towards East Africa and the western Indian Ocean. Such engagement aligns naturally with Pakistan’s increasing emphasis on maritime security, regional connectivity, and economic diplomacy. Enhanced cooperation could strengthen efforts against piracy, terrorism, trafficking networks, and other transnational threats while creating opportunities for defence exports, commercial partnerships, maritime collaboration, and expanded trade. Diplomatically, it would reinforce Pakistan’s engagement with a continent of growing geopolitical and economic importance.
Importantly, this partnership should not be misconstrued as military expansion. Contemporary geopolitics increasingly rewards cooperation rather than confrontation. Pakistan’s comparative advantage lies not in extending military influence overseas but in sharing expertise accumulated through decades of institution building and professional military education.
Ultimately, Pakistan-Somalia defence cooperation is not about aircraft, weapons, or defence contracts alone. At its heart lies the transfer of knowledge, professional competence, and institutional resilience. If pursued with vision and consistency, it can help Somalia rebuild credible air power while enabling Pakistan to emerge as a trusted security partner in Africa. In a century increasingly defined by connectivity, maritime trade, and strategic partnerships, the real measure of success will not be the number of platforms transferred, but the strength of the institutions built and the stability they help secure across one of the world’s most consequential regions.
The writer is a retired Group Captain of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). He is a columnist, analyst, and TV talk show host who has authored 16 books on current affairs, including ten on China.
