Pakistan has reduced the number of nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets it planned to buy from the US from 36 to 18 due to financial constraints.The original plan envisaged Pakistan acquiring 36 jets under a 5.1 billion-dollar package that would have included weapon systems and spares as well as upgrading the earlier fleet of F-16s bought in the 1980s. The 36 new F-16 block 50/52 jets were to have cost Pakistan three billion dollars and the weapon systems an additional 650 million dollars.
The decision to reduce the order by half would also halve the cost of the proposal to buy new F-16s and weapon systems, Dawn newspaper quoted diplomatic sources as saying today. Pakistan, however, will still have to spend 1.3 billion dollars on the mid-life upgrade and modification of its older F-16 A/B jets. Engine modification and the purchase of some new equipment for the old fleet will cost an additional 151 million dollars.
The new Pakistan government is currently facing a major financial crunch due to rising global oil prices and inflation.
| They might decide that older F16As are just fine. |