Pakistan's armed forces must be ready to "respond with full force" as the country's relations with other nations could suddenly be derailed by hostility as was witnessed in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has said.

Suleman, who was visiting the Pakistan Air Force base at Shorkot in Punjab province after assuming office recently, said: "We are living in a volatile region where events change at a rapid pace. The friendship course of events derails into hostility within hours as was witnessed in November-December last year.”

"We must therefore always be ready to protect our aerial frontiers and respond with full force," he said in his address to airmen at the base on Tuesday.

Suleman said PAF personnel must train hard to acquire the highest levels of operational standards and to meet any eventuality.

"Only then, we can assure the nation that PAF's cutting edge is ever ready to respond to any challenge."

A complete overhaul of training psyche and methodology is required to meet and absorb 21st century weapon systems, he said. The safeguarding of weapon systems too has a direct bearing on the combat effectiveness of PAF, he added.

During a recent visit to another airbase, Suleman said he had devised a new strategy for offensive operations and put the PAF on alert to respond to any possible surgical strikes by India in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.