JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - SEPTEMBER 22, 2004
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IDEAS exhibition: US offers to sell F-16s to Pakistan
JOSHUA KUCERA JDW Staff Reporter
Karachi, Pakistan
Additional reporting by Michael Sirak JDW Staff Reporter
Washington, DC
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.
Sanctions
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."
In addition, the US thinks that the F-16s could help Pakistan in its fight against Islamist insurgents in the country's northwest, ACM Saadat said. "So I guess the US government and [US] Central Command believes it would be helpful to their cause also," he said. The AMRAAMs, however, would be more useful against India than against ground targets in the northwest.
Lockheed Martin officials also said Pakistan's key role as a US ally appeared to be paying dividends. "If you read what you see in the papers in the last two or three weeks, I would say there's probably more opportunity than there was [for the F-16 deal]," said James Jamerson, Lockheed's president for the Middle East and Africa. "The 9/11 commission singled out Pakistan and said it was an important ally and that we need to do it right. Secretary [Colin] Powell made some comments, Senator [John] Kerry made some comments that were positive."
Jamerson said it was not yet decided what type of F-16s they would be, but said Pakistan has requested new aircraft, which would most likely be Block 50 variants. ACM Sadaat said he was also "open to excess defence articles".
Lockheed Martin is currently producing only advanced Block 50/52 aircraft and the newer Block 60 configuration. However, the US Air Force has several hundred F-16A/B aircraft remaining in 'mothballs'. The US government has already sold approximately 150 F-16A/Bs to six nations and modified them via the Mid-Life Update programme that brings their avionics and weapons capabilities near to that of earlier model Block50/52 aircraft.
Pakistan has also sought second-hand F-16A/Bs from countries like Belgium. Such transactions would require US government approval.
Arrangement
If approved, the Pakistani F-16s, would still not fill Pakistan's requirement for a high-tech fighter, ACM Saadat said, adding that the country is still looking at the Gripen, J-10, Mirage 2000 and additional F-16s. Sweden had been under pressure from the US not to allow the sale of the Gripen, but if the F-16 deal goes through, that may be resolved, ACM Saadat said. "What I am told is that they have an arrangement with Saab that whatever they supply to any country, they can't prevent Sweden from doing it. That is to say, if the F-16 and AMRAAM was to come to Pakistan, the Americans will not be able to object to Sweden doing the same thing," he said.
Pakistan is now waiting for Sweden to decide whether it will allow the sale and is also conducting testing of the J-10.
That high-tech aircraft will supplement the larger numbers of more modest JF-17 fighters that Pakistan is developing with China. The first prototype flew last September and since then two new ones have been built and are being flown in China, ACM Saadat said. After the fourth prototype is produced, development will be frozen for the first small-batch production, starting in 2006. The Pakistan Air Force and the the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force will each get eight of those. Then full production should go on for 10-15 years.
In early September, the US also concluded a deal to sell six C-130Es to Pakistan. Two will be delivered by the end of 2004 and all will get wing, engine and avionics upgrades. One avionics kit will be installed in the US and then Lockheed Martin will send a team to Pakistan to help local industry install the rest.
The US has also agreed to help the Pakistan Navy refurbish its two P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, said Chief of Navy Staff Adm Shahid Karimullah. The work will start in November, he said, and will restore them to an operational state.
Pakistan is also negotiating with the US for eight additional Orions to replace its Breguet Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft: a deal that would also require Congressional approval. "The number has not been finalised - certainly enough to replace our ageing Atlantics," said Adm Karimullah. Those would probablybe used aircraft, Lockheed Martin officials said.
'Pakistan to receive US assistance' (JDW 5 May 2004)
'Pakistan seeks additional F-16s' (JDW 27 August 2003)
'Washington promises $3bn in aid to Pakistan' (JDW 2 July 2003)
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Date Posted: 17-Sep-2004
JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - SEPTEMBER 22, 2004
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IDEAS: Pakistan plans to buy more ships and boats
JOSHUA KUCERA JDW Staff Reporter
Washington, DC
Additional reporting by Farhan Bokhari JDW Special Correspondent
Islamabad, Pakistan
The Pakistan Navy is seeking to acquire four frigates and four submarines in addition to the four Type F-22P frigates (Jaingwei-II class), currently being negotiated with China, and the three Agosta 90-B submarines being built by France.
"The four ships from the Chinese and the three submarines are not enough to maintain a minimum deterrence," Chief of Navy Staff Adm Shahid Karimullah said. "We need more. The money is being arranged for us to acquire more submarines and more ships."
While acquisition plans are still in the early stages, they depend on uncertain funding sources, the Commander, Pakistan Fleet, Vice Adm Mohammad Faroon, told JDW. However, for now the navy is looking at "roughly four" additional new submarines, he said. "More or fewer are possible, if more or less money becomes available," he said. "You have to look in your pocket and then decide what you can buy."
The navy is still considering a variety of options for the submarines, but is primarily focusing on a single-hull design and air independent propulsion. "These will be the primary things that guide us," Adm Faroon said. The design should be finalised by 2005, with work starting in late 2005 or early 2006 allowing the four boats to be completed by 2011-12, he added.
After production of the F-22Ps is started, Pakistan will again evaluate its needs with an eye to acquiring an additional four frigates, Adm Faroon said. "If our experience with the F-22Ps is good, we may go in for another four, with better sensors, better machinery," he added. The navy is now considering a larger ship - more than 3,000 tons as compared to the 2,400-ton ships under consideration now - with greater endurance, he noted.
Pakistan and China are close to signing a deal for the four F-22P frigates for which they have already been negotiating and only need to work out the details of a loan that China is offering Pakistan, Adm Karimullah said.
"We hope that this loan will be finalised and soon after that we'll be able to sign a contract," he said. China was offering a commercial loan and Pakistan was looking for "friendship" terms, he added.
The ships will be equipped with "at least one" each of the naval version of the Hafei Aviation Industry Z-9C helicopter, Adm Faroon said. However, the rest of the weapons and systems were still under negotiation, he said.
The Pakistan Navy also took delivery earlier this month of two additional Jalalal-class fast attack craft-missile boats. "These are the improved version of the ones we had made about four to five years ago. These are faster, with a more attractive weapon load," Adm Karimullah said.
The procurement plans come amid increasing US-Pakistani naval co-operation (see page 4). Adm Karimullah said one Pakistan Navy destroyer will be patrolling international waters near Pakistan trying to interdict potential insurgent operations. Senior Pakistani government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Pakistan is offering to support the US naval presence in the northern Arabian Sea, close to the Persian Gulf.
Pakistan has offered to extend unspecified support services to the US Navy if Washington gives consideration to supplying Pakistan with new equipment, such as maritime reconnaissance aircraft, the officials said. "The Pakistan Navy is in the ideal position of being able to be of assistance to the US Navy in such a crucial part of the world," said one government official.
"Our navy can perform a range of functions from assistance in patrolling the waters of the northern Arabian Sea to providing logistical support wherever possible."
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Date Posted: 17-Sep-2004
JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - SEPTEMBER 22, 2004
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IDEAS: HIT negotiating Khalid deal with Saudi Arabia
Joshua Kucera JDW Staff Reporter, Karachi
Pakistan Additional reporting Christopher F Foss JDW Land Forces Editor
Pakistan is negotiating with Saudi Arabia a deal to export "hundreds" of its Al Khalid main battle tanks (MBTs) for the Royal Saudi Army, according to officials from Al Khalid manufacturer Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT).
HIT has carried out tests of the Khalid, also known as the MBT 2000, in Pakistan and within a year will test it in Sharurah in southern Saudi Arabia, said HIT chairman Maj Gen Israr Ahmad Ghumman. "The Saudis buy in the hundreds," Gen Ghumman said. "We are not interested in selling in the dozens."
HIT has modified the Al Khalid - a joint development between Pakistan and China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) - to be able to carry an extra 10 rounds inside the hull. "It cuts down the logistical tail," Gen Ghumman said. All new Al Khalids are manufactured with these modifications and older ones will be retrofitted as they come in for refurbishing, he noted.
The current Saudi MBT fleet consists of 315 General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 Abrams, 450 M60A3s and 290 older Giat Industries AMX-30Ds. However, due to shortages of personnel, many of these MBTs are in storage and not used on a regular basis, defence sources have told JDW.
In recent years a number of countries have proposed the sale of new MBTs to Saudi Arabia, including Giat industries of France which has offered its Leclerc. However, given the much-reduced external threat to Saudi Arabia, some observers believe that the country will place greater emphasis on the procurement of internal security-type vehicles and equipment rather than MBTs.
