London (TDI): At the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025, Pakistan’s Air Force (PAF) won two of the event’s major awards – the “Spirit of the Meet” trophy for the JF-17 Thunder Block-III and the “Concours d’Elegance” award for a specially painted C-130H Hercules.
This year at RIAT, the JF-17 Thunder Block-III debuted, a jointly developed Pakistan-China multi-role fighter aircraft. The plane impressed the judges with its sleek avionics, combat performance, and overall appearance.
The C-130H Hercules, on the other hand, had an “Eyes in the Skies” painted scheme, which was specifically made for this year’s airshow theme. The aircraft won the prestigious Concours d’Elegance award for its impressive appearance and strict maintenance standards.
PAF senior command officers commended the performance of the team. Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu congratulated the team and said, “Ever holding the country’s flag high has always been the Pakistan Air Force’s trademark.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, also posted a congratulatory message on social media app X, saying that the awards are a source of national pride and that they reflect the commitment and hard work of the air force.
Many congratulations to our Shaheens of the #Pakistan Air Force @DGPR_PAF for winning the top award, the Concours d’Elegance Trophy for C-130H Hercules and “Spirit of the Meet” for PAF JF-17 in Royal International Air Tattoo (#RIAT) 2025 at UK.
After PAF’s incredible victory in…
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) July 19, 2025
The Royal International Air Tattoo is one of the biggest and most competitive military airshows in the world, drawing the participation of more than 20 countries. It is a forum for displaying the latest in aviation technology.
The “Spirit of the Meet” award is dedicated to the best aircraft and crew, embodying the spirit of the event while “Concours d’Elegance” is for outstanding effort in aircraft presentation and maintenance.
Pakistan has won awards at RIAT before as well, in 2006, 2016, and 2018. This year’s awards add to PAF’s reputation as a disciplined, modern, and competitive air force.
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