Overview
- U.S. Central Command confirmed that U.S. and Pakistani soldiers completed Exercise Inspired Gambit at Pakistan’s National Counter-Terrorism Center in Pabbi from January 8–16, focusing on combined infantry skills and counterterrorism operations.
- Centcom described the training as strengthening long-standing defense ties between the two militaries.
- Reporting in Pakistan says the U.S. approved about $686 million in December for advanced upgrades to Pakistan’s F‑16 fleet, a step not yet detailed in official U.S. releases.
- President Donald Trump has repeatedly praised Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and again claimed he intervened to prevent a wider India–Pakistan conflict in May 2025.
- India’s Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Modi government over the U.S.–Pakistan drill, as Islamabad and Washington also agreed to expand security and border cooperation in talks led by the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Islamabad.