Pakistan Deploys Troops and Jets to Saudi Arabia Under SMDA

Under the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, Pakistan deploys forces to Saudi Arabia including fighter jets (mostly JF-17s), drone squadrons and an HQ-9 air defense battery. Reported troop numbers vary by source and date — roughly 8,000 during the war itself, rising to a reported 13,000 troops sent post-ceasefire — the first large-scale operational test of the bilateral pact that later became the template for the Mecca agreement.