Sunday, Dec 19, 2004
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By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, DEC. 18. Pakistan has claimed that the endorsement of the $1.2-billion arms package by the U.S. Congress for the country would help fill gaps in its conventional capabilities. The Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, said: "We commend this decision by the U.S. Congress. These are modest but significant sales which will help fill some gaps in our conventional capabilities." The systems were geared to strengthen maritime security and thus reinforce Pakistan's defence posture. Rejecting the Indian reservations on the defence package, Mr. Khan said that Pakistan would continue to fulfil its modest defence needs. Also, the package did not in any way disrupt the existing conventional balance. "In fact, we have to go a long way in redressing the existing asymmetry that widened during the 1990s due to U.S. sanctions."
Major U.S. ally
The U.S. package is the largest since sanctions against Pakistan were lifted in 2001. It was announced by the Bush administration apparently in recognition of the role played by Pakistan as "a major ally in the fight against terrorism." The Bush administration last month notified Congress of its intention to sell to Pakistan sophisticated weapons, including eight P-3C Orion planes to beef up surveillance of its coasts and borders. Washington had said that Pentagon could conclude negotiations with Pakistan on the proposed sale unless Congress acts to stop it within 30 days. According to Pentagon, the command-and-control capabilities of the aircraft would improve Pakistan's ability to restrict the movement of guerrilla forces along its southern border and ensure its overall ability to maintain integrity at the borders.
Request for more
Quoting media reports, the Associated Press of Pakistan said that besides the Orion surveillance planes, Pakistan had also requested 2,000 TOW-2A anti-armour guided missiles and six Phalanx Close-in Weapons Systems for its warships. "The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region," the U.S. Defence Security and Cooperation Agency had said in a statement of notification to Congress when announcing the package. The weapons will increase Pakistan's search-surveillance-and-control capability in support of maritime interdiction operations and increase its ability to support the U.S. Operation Enduring Freedom operations. The P-3s also are designed to hunt ships and submarines and will increase the "regional influence" of the Pakistani Navy, the Pentagon said. The TOW anti-armour guided missiles were valued at $82 million, while the Phalanx weapons systems were put at $155 million. The Pentagon in its notification said the TOW anti-armour-guided missiles would help Pakistan "provide for its own legitimate self-defence needs and enable it to support U.S. operations against terrorist activity along its porous borders" with Afghanistan.
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