Pakistani Defence Attaché Exits Indonesian Air Force Seminar Amid Dispute Over Airbase Damage Presentation

A seminar hosted by the Indonesian Air Force University gained attention after a diplomatic incident involving the Pakistani Defence Attaché, who refused to attend. The attaché objected to the presentation of satellite images depicting damage to Pakistan Air Force bases. This event was part of a two-day seminar titled “International Seminar: Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power,” focused on analyzing the air conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025 and exploring its implications for regional air power dynamics.

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Sourced reports indicate that the Indian Defence Attaché to Indonesia participated in the seminar, offering insights from India’s standpoint on the conflict known as Operation Sindoor. The seminar presented high-resolution imagery and analysis showing damage to several Pakistani air facilities, allegedly caused by precision strikes from the Indian Air Force.

The Pakistani officials expressed strong opposition to the use of these images in the seminar's materials, stressing concerns about the sensitivity of operational military data and its public portrayal of national setbacks. In protest, the Pakistani Defence Attaché chose not to attend, a decision noted by participants and sparking discussions about the challenges of conducting open military dialogues involving adversarial countries.

This incident highlights the diplomatic challenges inherent in evaluating recent or ongoing conflicts within academic and defense-related forums. Although the seminar aimed to facilitate strategic learning, Pakistan's response illustrated the constraints on such discussions when national image or security is at risk.

The Indonesian Air Force’s organization of the seminar signals its increasing interest in understanding real-world air combat scenarios and revising its defense strategies accordingly. However, Pakistan's reaction underscores the difficulties in maintaining a balance between transparency, analytical discourse, and diplomatic sensitivity in international military forums.

While observers acknowledge that the seminar fulfilled its educational goals, it also revealed the potential tensions that can arise from openly debating military realities on global platforms.