Indian Government News,
The US administration has held a special briefing to persuade Senate staffers to help finance the mid-life upgrade of Pakistan's ageing fleet of F-16 combat jets in the face of opposition to the move in the Congress.
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who looks after South Asian affairs at the State Department, briefed the staffers, telling them that upgrading the F-16s would increase Pakistan's effectiveness in the war against terror.
Pakistan has a total of 34 F-16s purchased mostly in the 1980s and the jets are currently in need of a mid-life upgrade to retain their combat effectiveness. In recent weeks, the military has used the F-16s to target Taliban hideouts in the troubled Bajaur tribal region.
The US government has already accepted Pakistan's request to refurbish the aircraft by equipping them with modern technology and weapon systems to make them comparable with newer versions of the F-16s.
The mid-life upgrade will cost a USD 891 million.
Pakistan agreed to pay USD 417 million and asked the US to provide the remaining USD 474 million, the newspaper reported today.
The proposal is strongly resisted in the US Congress. Lawmakers say that Pakistan does not need F-16s to fight terrorists. They have argued that Pakistan needs financial support to revive its economy and not for buying F-16s.
They also say that given the country's economic situation, Pakistan may fail to pay its share for upgrading the aircraft, thus forcing the US to bear all the expenses.
In July, the US State Department notified a Senate committee that it had accepted Pakistan's request to make available USD 226 million from the foreign military finance programme for upgrading the F-16s.
The US administration needs Congress's permission to provide the remaining amount.
Pakistan had initially agreed to bear most of the cost but under the new arrangement, the US will provide almost half of the money needed.
The State Department said the move was aimed at helping “a strong ally” faced with a difficult financial situation.
Pakistan also had plans to buy 36 new F-16s at a total cost of USD 5.1 billion but after the devastating 2005 earthquake in the Kashmir region brought on a financial crunch, it reduced its order to 18 jets.
In addition to the purchase of the new jets, Islamabad has received an additional 14 used F-16s from Washington due to its status as a “major non-NATO ally”.
This arrangement allows American allies to receive surplus defence equipment. The White House has rejected criticism that Pakistan could only use the F-16s against its nuclear rival India and not against terrorists.
“The F-16s that they have are used in counter- terrorism operations. We made them available to the Pakistanis and they need to be maintained,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Administration officials have told the Senate that refurbishing Pakistan's ageing fleet of F-16 jets will “dramatically reduce collateral damage and civilian casualties” in operations in the tribal areas.
The upgraded aircraft will provide the Pakistan Air Force the capability to conduct “precision air strikes against al-Qaeda, Taliban and other groups”, the officials said.
They argued that a mid-life upgrade of the jets will “very significantly” increase the air force's capability to conduct close air support and precision night attack missions.
When Pakistan purchased its initial batch of F-16s in the 1980s, the jets did not have night vision capabilities. Since most of the jets are over 20 years old, they need to be refurbished to enhance their service life.
US officials told the Senate that four of the F-16s are being upgraded in Fort Worth, Texas, and will be delivered to Pakistan in December 2011.
Bush administration officials also told lawmakers that the F-16 had become an iconic symbol of bilateral relations and their commitment to each other.
Given the “tangible and symbolic importance of Pakistan's F-16 programme”, the officials requested Congressional support to redirect funds from the foreign military financing for refurbishing the jets.
