PAF F-16s Upgradation program

rizwan78

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U.S. To Hand Over Four Upgraded F-16's To Pakistan

(RTTNews) - The United States will hand over the first batch of four upgraded F-16s to Pakistan this week, giving the latter's Air Force the capability to conduct night operations and use precision-guided munition in its operations against militants in the country's northwest.
The four Block 52 F-16s of the 18 are due to arrive Saturday in Pakistan. The remaining 14 multi-role combat jets will be delivered by the year-end.
The jets, which are more advanced than the F-16 A/B jets in the Pakistan Air Force's fleet, will enhance its capabilities for the ongoing war against terror.
Ahead of the delivery of the Block 52 F-16s, eight Pakistani pilots were trained in the U.S. to make the transition smooth from F-16 A/B to F-16 Block C/D.
Pakistan is also negotiating with the U.S. to buy 14 more new F-16s even as its Air Force is conducting a mid-life upgrade of its fleet of the 30-year-old F-16s. Four of the 45 old F-16s are being upgraded and they will be ready in two months.
The sale of F-16s by the U.S. has been an issue of concern for India, which has pointed out that Islamabad has diverted military aid meant for counter-terror operations to bolster its military capabilities against India.
The delivery of the fighter jets came at a time when India's Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao left for Islamabad Wednesday to kick-start a round of meetings for reducing the distrust between the two countries.
She will meet with her Pakistan counterpart Salman Bashir Thursday to pave the way for next month's meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries.
 

Rage

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The upgraded F-16's are a concern to us.

They are a concern because:

No figures on the utilization of the more than $12.5 billion in Security-related aid alone have ever been released by the Pakistani government.

For all of Pakistan's woes, for that matter no figures on the more than $6 billion in Economic-aid have ever been released.

But I'll drop the presumptuousness, and say, forget the world, no figures have ever been released even to the United States.

All of this, despite this tough condition.

No benefactor, in my mind, ever doles out money without accountability. Unless they have a machination behind the plan, which in India's case, is to f^ck India upright and sell them their weapons.
 

DaRk WaVe

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these are the new Block 52s or the F-16s that under went MLU??? Quite confusing...
 

Zaki

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these are the new Block 52s or the F-16s that under went MLU??? Quite confusing...
why confusing? it was mentioned several times in different newspapers confirming these are new Block 52s

@ topic

 

DaRk WaVe

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why confusing? it was mentioned several times in different newspapers confirming these are new Block 52s
ohh acha ame ne sahe tarha dekha ni tha, so they are indeed new ones ..-0p+=..-0p+=
 

Singh

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Pak is getting 18 F-16 Block 50/52 and then has an option of ordering further 18.
 

EagleOne

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F-16s' debilitating conditionalities

The PAF and the Americans certainly tried to create the perfect photo op with the US Viceregal ambassador Ms Patterson and the Air Chief Rao Qamar smiling for the cameras at Jacobabad air base - once Pakistan's sove-reign territory but now controlled effectively by the US military. All this apparent bonhomie was the delivery of the first three F-16s to the buyer - the Pakistan Air Force from the US manufacturers. The official press release was almost nauseating in the expression of goodwill towards the Americans and the joy the PAF felt at getting these planes. But behind this entire facade, many things are amiss and all concerned Pakistanis should seriously be worried.
To begin with, let us remember that we have paid a hefty price for these planes - $1.4 billion along with another $1.3 billion for the upgrade of our existing fleet of F-16s - the few we did manage to get delivery of and for which we have had to scour the globe for spares since the US refused. Luckily we still have a few gutsy and committed allies! So far only three planes in the new order have been delivered though the official spin is four! Let us hope we get all 18 but the past record is certainly dismal. After all, not only did the US keep our money and refused to give us the planes, the manufacturer had the audacity to charge us parking fees and then all we landed up with was wheat and soya beans - not much to bolster our defences on, but certainly a healthy contribution to the US farmers' pockets! Why should it be any different this time? So far the US track record has not shown a change for the better - given how they are still holding up our dues in connection with the Coalition Support Fund. That too is not aid but payment for services rendered unquestioningly to US goals by the Pakistani state - and at great cost to the Pakistani nation. So let us hope the Pakistan Air Force has learnt some lessons from the past and built in some cast-iron guarantees but it would be worthwhile for our parliamentarians to demand access to the new F-16 purchase agreement. If there are no firm guarantees of supply, we may be seeing a repeat of our past F-16 history all over again. After all, the deal at the time was also made when we were the frontline state for the US in another war in Afghanistan!
Nor is it just fears of whether we will once again lose our money and end up lining the pockets of some marginalised but politically powerful US lobby such as farmers! A much bigger issue is the terms and conditions which the US insists are attached to the new sales agreement and which our Air Chief denies when he declares that the PAF can use these planes as it sees fit - in other words against any contingency and any enemy. Unfortunately, while expounding on how these new planes will add to the PAF's capability, the Air Chief focused primarily on the war against "extremists" - something the US also continues to say when explaining the sale of these planes to Pakistan. In fact, the US Assistant Secretary of State, Robert Blake, went especially to New Delhi recently to inform the Indians that the new F-16s will not be used against India. Now how can the US give this assurance unless the Pakistanis have made some foolish commitment in writing to this effect? After all, if there is a conflict with India why would we not want to use our most efficient weapon systems? Have the Indians given any similar commitments vis-à-vis Pakistan in terms of missile defence systems they are acquiring from the US? Of course not! And the US has not assuaged our fears on this count either. Why the Pakistani nation should be concerned is because there have been reports that the US is sending along its own technicians who will ensure that these planes are not used anywhere except against our own people - the "extremists". TheNation had published this news story (which the US has not denied) and aroused the wrath of the PAF and its PR man who now refuses to answer any questions on the F-16s for us - which he does not seem to realise is his loss not ours!

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Columns/30-Jun-2010/F16s-debilitating-conditionalities
 

lambu

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Pakistan gets upgraded F-16s from Turkey

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has received three F-16 fighter jets after the aircraft were upgraded in Turkey.The aircraft were sent to the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for "mid-life upgradation", the Daily Times reported Saturday.

In October 2010, the PAF signed a contract with the TAI to upgrade all its F-16 Block 15 aircraft.Under the programme, the TAI is performing structural modernisation of F-16 aircraft that have been on the inventory of the PAF since 1982-83.

The project is expected to be completed by September 2014.

Pakistan gets upgraded F-16s from Turkey | idrw.org
 

SPIEZ

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The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has received three F-16 fighter jets after the aircraft were upgraded in Turkey.The aircraft were sent to the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for "mid-life upgradation", the Daily Times reported Saturday.

In October 2010, the PAF signed a contract with the TAI to upgrade all its F-16 Block 15 aircraft.Under the programme, the TAI is performing structural modernisation of F-16 aircraft that have been on the inventory of the PAF since 1982-83.

The project is expected to be completed by September 2014.

Pakistan gets upgraded F-16s from Turkey | idrw.org
Don't know how, but they seem to do well somehow :tsk: :tsk: :tsk:
 

indian_sukhoi

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Turkey has their own Aviation Industry capable of upgrading or licence producing aircrafts!!

Block 15 F-16s are obsolete, lack BVR capability!!

They might upgrade them to Block 50 standards, Once upgraded they could use ARMAANS and JDAMs which PAF brought in US aid package last year.
 

Blackwater

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did pakis pay for upgrade or again Allah ke naam par ya muslim brotherhood ke naam par free me kara liya???
 

sayareakd

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read somewhere only 16 or so, of their F 16 can fire BVRs, someone please confirm this.
 

Vishwarupa

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The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has received three F-16 fighter jets after the aircraft were upgraded in Turkey.The aircraft were sent to the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for "mid-life upgradation", the Daily Times reported Saturday.

In October 2010, the PAF signed a contract with the TAI to upgrade all its F-16 Block 15 aircraft.Under the programme, the TAI is performing structural modernisation of F-16 aircraft that have been on the inventory of the PAF since 1982-83.

The project is expected to be completed by September 2014.

Pakistan gets upgraded F-16s from Turkey | idrw.org
What happened to those US clauses...did US not object to these upgrades.
 

Armand2REP

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Love this...yaar. but anyway f 16 are a superb lot. REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE UPGRADE. :)
It is part of the US deal for licensed assembly called Peace Onyx III MLU. Brings older F-16s up to Block 50 standard.
 

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