Pakistani defence and security officials are expected to arrive in Australia soon to buy military equipment including unmanned surveillance aircraft.

These aircraft will be used to help patrol Pakistan's mountainous and porous border with Afghanistan.

The equipment request was made during a visit to Islamabad by Australian Defence Force chief Angus Houston, who was also asked to provide Pakistani personnel with training in sophisticated counter-terrorism techniques and a range of security equipment used by the ADF, police and immigration officials.

Pakistan shares a 2400 kilometre border with Afghanistan and is increasingly seen as a key to success in the war being waged by NATO forces against insurgents from the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

The colonial border cuts through the traditional mountain lands of the Pashtun people, who have had thousands of years' experience of successfully fighting foreign invaders.

After talks with members of Pakistan's armed forces, Air Chief Marshal Houston confirmed that the Pakistani officers were particularly keen to obtain the Scan Eagle pilotless reconnaissance aircraft Boeing builds in Australia.

The tiny aircraft is fitted with cameras that can be used by night or day and has proven successful when used by Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan."It provides a very effective way to see what's on the other side of the hill without getting your head shot off," a veteran soldier said.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said that because Afghanistan was landlocked, Australia relied heavily on sea, air and land access through Pakistan for its troops and equipment.

"For a long time, they've been a very important partner in our endeavours in Afghanistan," he said.

The defence chief said Pakistani authorities had to try to control a long border in rugged country with crossing points used constantly since colonial times. They had five army divisions along the border and had suffered heavy casualties fighting extremists there.

He said there could well be great benefit in having Pakistan engaged with Australia's defence industries.

"We think engagement with Pakistan is a vital part of getting the right outcomes in Afghanistan.

"Pakistani military officers in Islamabad were clearly frustrated by assumptions among many Western commentators that they could easily defeat the Taliban.

They said that NATO and its allies must negotiate with moderate members of the Taliban if there was to be any hope of peace.

The officers said they were convinced there could not be a military solution in Afghanistan.

"There has to be a mix of solutions and a lot of work has to be done on the political system and on economic development," one said.

If more people had jobs, fewer would be willing to fight for the Taliban, he said.

The Pakistani officers scoffed at suggestions their country was encouraging the Taliban and said 12,000 Pakistani soldiers had been killed fighting terrorists and another 14,000 seriously wounded in the past two years.