The United States has approved the sale of advanced technologies and upgrades for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets worth approximately $686 million.
The agreement was signed amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and neighboring India, which sparked a five-day war in May after rebel attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir. The US recently put pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to buy more weapons from India.
A closer look at the US-Pakistan F-16 upgrade agreement and why it’s important now.
What did the US agree to with Pakistan?
Praveen Donti, a senior analyst at the Brussels-based non-governmental organization (NGO) International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that the approval is part of the 2022 Sustainment Agreement that the United States agreed to in 2022 to maintain Pakistan’s F-16 squadron.
“The F-16 agreement remains an important part of the broader U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relationship, which is why there has been continuity from President Biden to President Trump, albeit with some delays. Both sides have emphasized the usefulness of the fleet in joint counterterrorism operations in the region.”
The latest US contract is for the sale of technology to support and upgrade Pakistan’s existing F-16 squadron. This was revealed in a report sent by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to the US Congress on December 4th.
Pakistan is believed to operate between 70 and 80 F-16s. Among these are also the older but upgraded Block 15 model, the former Jordanian F-16 model, and the newer Block 52+ model.
The U.S. offering will consist of hardware and software updates to enhance flight operations and aircraft electronic systems. Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system. Allows pilots to distinguish between friendly and enemy aircraft. Navigation upgrade. Spare parts and repairs.
In addition to $649 million worth of support and upgrades to the F-16, the U.S. sale also includes major defense equipment (MDE), a key military item on the U.S. munitions list, valued at $37 million. This includes 92 Link-16 systems.
Link-16 is a secure military tactical data link network that enables real-time communications between military aircraft, ships, and ground forces. It allows communication through text messages and images.
Six Mk-82 inert 500 pound (226.8 kg) general purpose bomb bodies are another type of MDE authorized for sale to Pakistan. These are empty metal cartridges from Mk-82 bombs, used for training and testing.
Instead of an explosive such as tritonal (a mixture of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and aluminum powder used in munitions), the casing is filled with a heavy material such as concrete or sand. The Mk-82 is an unguided bomb developed by the United States. It can also be used as a warhead for precision guided weapons.
What is an F-16 fighter?
The F-16, also known as the F-16 Fighting Falcon or Viper, is a single-engine aircraft used by the United States and its allies for air-to-air combat and air-to-ground attack.
The jet is currently manufactured by US defense and aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin, which took over production in 1995. It was originally developed by General Dynamics, an American industrial and technology company.
The jet was developed at the end of the Vietnam War, during which Soviet Mikoyan Gurevich (MiGs) overwhelmed heavier and slower American fighters. It first flew in 1974.
The F-16 is currently one of the most widely used fighter aircraft in the world. According to Lockheed Martin’s website, the F-16 is operated by 29 countries.
Other countries besides Pakistan that have F-16s include Ukraine, Turkiye, Israel, Egypt, Poland, Greece, Taiwan, Chile, Singapore, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway.
What role did F-16s play in the conflict between India and Pakistan in May?
On April 22, armed assailants killed 26 people in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack was claimed by the Resistance Front (TRF), a separatist group listed as a terrorist organization by India and the United States, with New Delhi claiming links to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a claim denied by Islamabad.
After the Pahalgam attack, New Delhi reduced diplomatic ties with Islamabad and suspended the Indus Water Treaty, which guaranteed proper sharing of Indus River waters between India and Pakistan.
On May 7, India launched missile attacks on Pakistan and nine locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with Islamabad announcing that dozens of civilians were killed. Over the next three days, both countries engaged in fierce dogfights, using drones and missiles to target each other’s military bases.
During the air war, Pakistan deployed 42 “high-tech aircraft,” including F-16s and Chinese-made JF-17s and J-10s, according to Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed.
A ceasefire, credited to US President Donald Trump, was finally brokered on May 10.
Is the US putting pressure on India?
Yes, there are several reasons.
The US approval for Pakistan’s F-16 upgrades comes as the Trump administration is pressuring India to buy more weapons.
In August, New Delhi put plans to buy American weapons and aircraft on hold, Reuters reported, citing three unnamed Indian officials familiar with the matter.
This was weeks before Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was scheduled to visit Washington to announce the arms purchase. That visit was cancelled.
India-US relations have also been strained in recent months.
On August 6, President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from India as punishment for purchasing cheap Russian crude oil. This is on top of the existing 25% tariff already imposed on Indian products, bringing the total tariff on imports from India to 50%.
President Trump announced the tariffs in an executive order in which he said Russia’s continued military action in Ukraine is a “national emergency” and therefore it is “necessary and appropriate” to increase tariffs on India, the largest consumer of crude oil.
“We have learned that the Indian government is currently importing oil from the Russian Federation, directly or indirectly.”
Pressure from the US has led India to slightly scale back its purchases of Russian crude oil, but New Delhi plans to continue buying from Moscow. Russia remains the second largest consumer of Russian oil after China.
President Vladimir Putin met with Prime Minister Modi at the annual Russia-India bilateral summit in New Delhi last week, during which he said, “Russia is ready for uninterrupted fuel shipments to India.”
The latest US contract announcement to provide maintenance and upgrades to Pakistan’s F-16s is likely to be poorly received in India.
Dhonty said New Delhi has previously opposed defense cooperation between Pakistan and the US, where the two countries work together to maintain Pakistan’s F-16 squadron. India claims the F-16s are being used against it.
“Washington took the lead this time by saying that the sale ‘does not change the fundamental military balance in the region,'” Donty said.
How much will US sales strengthen Pakistan?
Dontti said that while the latest package from the US will help Pakistan maintain its fleet until 2040, it is China that has supplied more than 80% of Pakistan’s weapons since 2020.
This statistic was also confirmed by Swedish think tank SIPRI in a report this year.
“Pakistan used Chinese J-10 aircraft in the conflict with India in May. Islamabad continues to maintain a balance between Washington and China and benefit from both sides,” Donti said.
