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Pakistan to get state-of-the-art jet fighters

Washington: The U.S. recently delivered two used F-16B state-of-the-art fighter jets to Pakistan and announced plans to donate another two dozen, said the Arms Control Today journal has said.

Pakistan will not pay for the used, older model F-16s, whose flying conditions vary, but will assume the costs for refurbishing and modernising them, a Department of Defence spokesperson told the journal. The U.S., in a deal announced last September, is also set to sell Pakistan 18 new F-16C/D fighters for delivery in 2010 and upgrades for its fleet of 34 F-16 combat aircraft.

Washington cleared Islamabad last year for about $2.1 billion of weapons, avionics, engines, and other equipment for F-16 fighters.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush (Senior) blocked arms sales to Pakistan because his administration would not certify under U.S. law that Islamabad did not possess a nuclear device.

Seeking Pakistan’s allegiance after the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush waived the prohibitions.

Pakistan is supposed to begin receiving the 18 top-of-the-line F-16C/Ds in three years and has the option to purchase 18 more.

“Under US law, Congress was notified of the possible sales, and the House International Relations Committee subsequently convened a hearing in July 2006 in which members blasted the Bush administration for not sufficiently consulting them about the deal,” Mr. Ginsburg wrote in the journal. — PTI

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