A JFI anecdote regarding corruption in Saudi arms deals. This practice dates back to the 60s when Saudis started to acquire (then) modern fighter aircraft.
What I'm posting below, is authentic as the source is a retired PAF air cmdr who was a part of our advisory team to the Saudis and has mentioned this incident in his book.
In 1966 or thereabouts, the Saudis wanted to go for a Mach busting fighter. They asked for the PAF's advice in the evaluation and selection of a fighter from amongs the 3 candidates on offer. The Ee Lightning, Northrop F-5A and the Lockheed starfighter. All 3 companies were to give tech presentations about their aircraft to a joint Pak-Saudi evaluation committee. The Saudi members (led by a Prince) at all 3 presentations would invariably show up when the presentations were nearing the end or after, while the PAF members would have been there from the start.
Coming to the point, the Saudis left all the work of drawing up the reccommendation report to the PAF guys. The PAF component after having attended all the presentations and having gone through the technical data of the offers, strongly recommended the F-5A for acquisition in view of it's multirole ability, with the F-104 a distant second and the Lightning an even more distant third. Imagine their surprise when they found out that the RSAF was going for the Lightnings. Now the PAF advisory team lead, one day soon after catches up with the Saudi Prince who was the Saudi team lead and inquires as to the reason behind the Lightning's acquisition. The answer is pure bedouin logic: ''You recommended the F-5, but you yourself operate the 104 Starfighter which means it is better than the F-5. But we cannot buy the Starfighter as it would imply you have too much influence on us and that we aped you. So we went for the Lightning.''
It was only a few years later back in Pakistan that the advisory team's hunch turned true, when one of them came to know from an old contact in the RSAF that the prince was richly rewarded by Ee for the Lightning contract.
What I'm posting below, is authentic as the source is a retired PAF air cmdr who was a part of our advisory team to the Saudis and has mentioned this incident in his book.
In 1966 or thereabouts, the Saudis wanted to go for a Mach busting fighter. They asked for the PAF's advice in the evaluation and selection of a fighter from amongs the 3 candidates on offer. The Ee Lightning, Northrop F-5A and the Lockheed starfighter. All 3 companies were to give tech presentations about their aircraft to a joint Pak-Saudi evaluation committee. The Saudi members (led by a Prince) at all 3 presentations would invariably show up when the presentations were nearing the end or after, while the PAF members would have been there from the start.
Coming to the point, the Saudis left all the work of drawing up the reccommendation report to the PAF guys. The PAF component after having attended all the presentations and having gone through the technical data of the offers, strongly recommended the F-5A for acquisition in view of it's multirole ability, with the F-104 a distant second and the Lightning an even more distant third. Imagine their surprise when they found out that the RSAF was going for the Lightnings. Now the PAF advisory team lead, one day soon after catches up with the Saudi Prince who was the Saudi team lead and inquires as to the reason behind the Lightning's acquisition. The answer is pure bedouin logic: ''You recommended the F-5, but you yourself operate the 104 Starfighter which means it is better than the F-5. But we cannot buy the Starfighter as it would imply you have too much influence on us and that we aped you. So we went for the Lightning.''
It was only a few years later back in Pakistan that the advisory team's hunch turned true, when one of them came to know from an old contact in the RSAF that the prince was richly rewarded by Ee for the Lightning contract.