The Qatar Armed Forces have concluded their participation in the 9th edition of the Pakistan Army Team Spirit International Competition (PATS-2026), held in the Republic of Pakistan, reaffirming ongoing military cooperation and the exchange of expertise between participating nations.
The demanding competition featured continuous 60-hour military maneuvers covering a distance of 65 kilometers, testing advanced combat capabilities including reconnaissance, infiltration, marksmanship, rapid battle procedures, and casualty evacuation under diverse operational conditions. The event brought together military teams from 19 countries.
The closing ceremony was attended by Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, along with senior Pakistani military Commanders and members of the Qatari Military Attaché delegation in Pakistan, Gulf Times reported.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir presented awards to the outstanding participants of the competition.
Qatar’s Military Police Forces secured the Gold Medal, while the Joint Special Forces and Ahmed bin Mohammed Military College earned Silver Medals, reflecting the high level of professionalism and combat readiness of the Qatar Armed Forces.
The Team Spirit Competition is a 60-hour long patrolling exercise, designed to enhance professional military skills through the exchange of innovative ideas, tactical experiences and best practices among participating teams, Radio Pakistan reported.
This year the competition featured wide ranging participation from nineteen countries including Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Nepal, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, United States of America and Uzbekistan and Indonesia.
Myanmar and Thailand attended the exercise as observers. Sixteen domestic teams from the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy, along with observers from the Pakistan Air Force also participated in the event.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir commended all participating teams for their exceptional professionalism, physical and mental endurance, operational competence and high morale displayed during the exercise.
He emphasized the importance of such multinational engagements in enhancing collective preparedness and adapting to the evolving character of modern warfare.
Reaffirming the core values of the Pakistan Army, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir underscored the enduring soldiery attributes of “character, courage and competence”, which have been consistently demonstrated by Pakistani soldiers, particularly in the ongoing fight against terrorism.
The Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces also witnessed miscellaneous training activities at National Counter Terrorism Centre Pabbi including a visit to newly established Tactical Simulator. He lauded the efforts of troops and technical team and emphasized the importance of simulator-based training to complement traditional training methods.
Pakistan routinely holds joint air, ground and sea exercises with regional countries and traditional allies to foster interoperability to counter threats to global peace.
