Pakistan To Press US For Sale Of F-16s

Jan 16th, 2005: Pakistan would strongly press for the sale of F-16 fighter planes, capable of delivering nuclear weapons, during the US-Pakistan Defence Consultative Group (DCG) meeting to be held in the first week of next month.

"Pakistan will also press for its legitimate defence requirements, particularly the sale of advanced weapon systems, including F-16 fighter aircraft, repair and up gradation of existing systems and licenses for the import of spares," officials were quoted as saying by local daily Dawn.

The DCG meeting would be held from February 1 to 4 and would be co-chaired by US Under Secretary of Defence Douglas J Feith and Pakistani Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (retired) Hamid Nawaz Khan.

This is the first DCG meet after the US granted Major Non NATO ally status to Pakistan, which officials claim helps in faster clearance of weapons for the country.

"The US administration is more sensitive to our defence requirements and we hope the trend will continue," Pakistan officials said.

The US recently cleared USD 1.3 billion defence package for Islamabad which included three P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft but was silent on Pakistan's persistent demand for a fleet of F-16s.

The DCG working groups on military cooperative consultations, counter-terrorism and security assistance would review the progress of defence cooperation and identify and plan new activities for the future

source

Kolkata Dec 14 : The Indian Air Force has an edge over its Pakistani counterpart despite Islamabad's acquisition of F-16 fighter aircraft from the U S, according to a top IAF official.

''In the present capability of conventional warfare, we are far ahead of our western neighbours,'' Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces Command, Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani told newsmen when asked whether Pakistan's acquisition of F-16s would give them an edge over the IAF.

He was talking to mediapersons after the launching ceremony of the Fast Attack Craft 'INS Bitra' at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) premises.

Stating that 'concerted efforts' were being made to acquire the most modern and the best combat aircraft, he said the Sukhoi-30 MKIs, now in possesion of the IAF, were among the best in the world. Besides, the IAF also had Mirages, Mig-29's and Jaguars.

''All these put together, we can't be matched. So, let them get what they want. We are confident that we can take on any one,'' Air Marshal Bhavnani said. PTI





[edit on 1-2-2005 by Stealth Spy]

These two are clearly itching to have a good scrap with each other, why don't people ever learn from the stupidity of the past

good for pakistan
f-16s do look good in pak colours

Originally posted by bodrul
good for pakistan
f-16s do look good in pak colours

especially when they get swatted out by Su-30 MKI's

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

Originally posted by bodrul
good for pakistan
f-16s do look good in pak colours

especially when they get swatted out by Su-30 MKI's

what is it with some paks and indians?
indians always acting like they are so tough
and same for paks

Block 15 F-16s are hardly cause for concern. Hell, the mudpounder -21 Bison outclasses them significantly in all fields.

I say let em buy them. It diverts spending from areas in Pakistan where they may actually be useful.

Originally posted by bodrul

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

Originally posted by bodrul
good for pakistan
f-16s do look good in pak colours

especially when they get swatted out by Su-30 MKI's

what is it with some paks and indians?
indians always acting like they are so tough
and same for paks

check out this site www.armyinkashmir.org... to find out

dont forget these sections :

www.armyinkashmir.org...

www.armyinkashmir.org...

www.armyinkashmir.org...

please do check these links out, and know the TRUTH

another article from jane's

The US is offering to sell 18 F-16 fighter aircraft to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pending Congressional approval: one of several such deals in the works after years of US-led defence sanctions against Pakistan, the PAF Chief of Staff has disclosed.

"[The Americans] have indicated that they are ready to give us F-16s," said Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Kaleem Saadat. "This is not a rumour; it is from the American government."

Pakistan said it hopes the deal is the beginning of greater US co-operation. "Eighteen I consider to be the first instalment of what would follow," ACM Saadat told JDW. Approval from Congress, however, is not likely to come until after the US elections in November, he said.

Pakistan is asking that the F-16s be equipped with Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs). Along with additional fighter aircraft, Pakistan has also outlined a requirement for a beyond-visual-range missile, which the AMRAAM would meet.

In 1988-89, Pakistan arranged to supplement its stock of 40 F-16A/Bs - about 32 of which remained in service as of 2003 - by ordering an additional 71 aircraft. Lockheed Martin began producing them, but then the US Congress imposed sanctions in 1995 that barred military sales to the country unless the US president could certify that Pakistan was not pursuing nuclear weapons.

As a result, only 28 of the 71 were ever built and none of them were delivered to Pakistan. Instead they were kept in storage in the US until the Bush administration reimbursed the Pakistanis financially and assigned 14 aircraft each to the US Air Force and Navy in June 2002 for training and testing purposes.

The episode still rankles in Pakistan and the renewed possibility of acquiring F-16s is seen partly as making amends in thanks for Pakistan's efforts as an ally of the US in the wake of 9/11.

"Right from day one, we have been impressing upon the US government what symbolic value the F-16 has for the Pakistani people and the Pakistani nation," ACM Saadat said. "So it's not as if 10, 15, 20 aircraft would make a world of difference in our operational capability, but it's a symbol in the sense that the people of Pakistan think that if they give us this then they are really sincere in helping us."

www.janes.com...

I think we might as well do it; they've been helpful post 9/11 and they already have nuclear weapons so I doubt a few F-16s would really mean much...just let's not sell them any B-2s anytime soon!

Originally posted by Stealth Spy
check out this site www.armyinkashmir.org... to find out

You won't even have to go to an Indian Government website. A casual glance at any history book written in the last 50 years would show how Pakistan's conduct against India is deserving of such ire.

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

check out this site www.armyinkashmir.org... to find out

dont forget these sections :

www.armyinkashmir.org...

www.armyinkashmir.org...

www.armyinkashmir.org...

please do check these links out, and know the TRUTH

i have my reasons for pakistan and india

pakistan= killing hundreds and thousends of people in my country of origon( bangladesh )

india = how muslims were traeted ( gugrat riot ) and boarder clashes and so on

dont really care what you lot do in kasmeir ( pers i would rather see it as a free country from pak and india )

[edit on 2-2-2005 by bodrul]

Originally posted by bodrul

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

check out this site www.armyinkashmir.org... to find out

dont forget these sections :

www.armyinkashmir.org...

www.armyinkashmir.org...

www.armyinkashmir.org...

please do check these links out, and know the TRUTH

i have my reasons for pakistan and india

pakistan= killing hundreds and thousends of people in my country of origon( bangladesh )

india = how muslims were traeted ( gugrat riot ) and boarder clashes and so on

dont really care what you lot do in kasmeir ( pers i would rather see it as a free country from pak and india )

[edit on 2-2-2005 by bodrul]

india liberated bangladesh from pakistan in 1971, if you remember.

pakistan is amilitary dictatorship that sponsors terrorism.

That you like pakistan getting F-16's , even after what they did in your country baffles me.Just because you are muslim(if i may dare say) and pakistan is also an islamic nation, does not and should not mean that pakistan is right.

as a muslim, why should yo back all other muslims even if what they do is wrong.

besides india is secular(although i would like it to be a Hindu rashtra)
.

the gujrat riots were only a retaliation for burning 50 hindu ram sevaks in their train.

thusands of hindus, sikhs were killed by muslims just after independence.

bangladesh's national anthem is written by india noble leurete Tagore



I am sorry if this post has hurt you in any way whatsoever.
I hope the mod's undrestand and not warn me or something.

Double post ( plz remove )

[edit on 3-2-2005 by bodrul]

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

as a muslim, why should yo back all other muslims even if what they do is wrong.

i dont back people if they are in the wronge regardless of religion

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

india liberated bangladesh from pakistan in 1971, if you remember.

india helped liberate bangaldesh ( true bangladesh ows a great deal to india for that )

linkOn December 4, 1971, the Indian Army, far superior in numbers and equipment to that of Pakistan, executed a 3-pronged pincer movement on Dhaka launched from the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura, taking only 12 days to defeat the 90,000 Pakistani defenders. The Pakistan Army was weakened by having to operate so far away from its source of supply. The Indian Army, on the other hand, was aided by East Pakistan's Mukti Bahini (Liberation Force), the freedom fighters who managed to keep the Pakistan Army at bay in many areas.

Originally posted by Stealth Spy


besides india is secular(although i would like it to be a Hindu rashtra)
.

the gujrat riots were only a retaliation for burning 50 hindu ram sevaks in their train.

thusands of hindus, sikhs were killed by muslims just after independence.

bangladesh's national anthem is written by india noble leurete Tagore

it was found out that the gugrat fire started by accident
and that the BNP did nothing to bring justice for those that got killed

newswww.bbc.net.uk...

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

I am sorry if this post has hurt you in any way whatsoever.
I hope the mod's undrestand and not warn me or something.

not really


[edit on 3-2-2005 by bodrul]

Gujarat riots were wrong..the anit-sikhs riots in 1984 were wrong..all political parties have bloody hands...

A free kashmir is not in anyones interest..it will be annexed by Pakistan as soon as it attains freedom...Initially in 1948 the king of kashmir Hari singh wanted indepedance but soon after independance Pakistan invaded kashmir(now POK) and annexed 1/3rd of it...In response to Pakistan's actions a scared hari singh signed a union with India..

A free kashmir/chechnya/aceh/taiwan is not a possibility..member staes cannot just go about declaring independance at will.. it is a matter of national security..