US argues F-16 support package to Pakistan not to alter military balance; India mum

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 8

The Foreign Office has not reacted so far to the Biden Administration approving a mega $ 450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan.

In a notification to the US Congress, the US State Department has said it has approved a possible foreign military sale of F-16 for sustainment and related equipment for an estimated cost of $ 450 million.

“Pakistan is an important counterterrorism partner, and as part of longstanding policy, the United States provides life cycle maintenance and sustainment packages for US-origin platforms,” said a State Department spokesperson.

“This will sustain Islamabad’s capability to meet current and future counterterrorism threats by maintaining its F-16 fleet as well as support Americanforeign policy and national security objectives by allowing interoperability in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations,” said the Pentagon’sDefense Security Cooperation Agency in a note.

The proposed sale will not alter the military balance in the region, it added. The funding will cover a dozen areas but none is related to new capability, munitions and weapons. Instead, they cover engineering, technical and logistical services most likely aimed at keep going a bulk of Pakistan’s 75-odd F-16s that have reached the end of their technical lives.

The main contractor for the contracts will be Lockheed Martin, which in India has tied up with the Tatas to produce F-16 and F-21 wings.

US President Joe Biden has basically reversed the decision of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump who had stopped all defense and security assistance to Pakistan in 2018 alleging that it was not a sincere partner in its fight against terrorism.

Last time around in 2016 when the Obama Administration decided to sell eight F-16s to Pakistan, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who was then Foreign Secretary, had summoned the US Ambassador to India Richard Verma to express the Government’s displeasure

The announcement of the sale came a day after senior officials from the US were here for a mid-sessional meeting of the Quad and a maritime security dialogue. Technically, sources pointed out, the agendas of both meetings did not cover Pakistan. If India was informed about the impending military assistance to Pakistan, it would have been through other channels, they felt.

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