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India against US selling F-16s to Pak
Despite getting a nuclear deal through with the US, India has taken exception to the US supplying 36 F-16 fighter aircraft to Pakistan. Reacting to the reports, the MEA spokesperson said on Monday that this would not be conducive to improving ties between India and Pakistan."This has been the subject of discussion with the US government in the past. In fact, the Prime Minister himself has expressed disappointment at the US approach to president Bush," the spokesperson said. Pakistan has also requisitioned 130 Harpoon missiles from the US, both submarine and surface launched, to be used on its P-3 aircraft that Islamabad has got from the US. The improved variety of missiles will have an improved ability to attack in more congested environments. Clearly, these are not directed against terrorists, said sources, but against India. However, the US defence department has reportedly assured Congress that the weapons systems asked for in these fighters would not alter or reduce India's military advantage. In a statement to the Congress, the Pentagon reportedly said: "Release of the weapons systems will neither affect the regional balance of power nor introduce a new technology, as this level of capability already exists in other countries in the region." Pakistan wants its F-16s to come equipped with some big ticket defence equipment like 500 Aim-120C, five advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM), 12 AMRAAM training missiles, 200 AIM-9M-8/9 Sidewinder missiles, 500 joint direct attack munitions (JDAM), among others. Posted by: john 2006-07-03 |
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