Pakistan to Exercise Options for More F-16s Published: 15 Jul 2011 1

[JayATL]

A link to this will help mate.

Pragmatic Euphony � The bonus F-16s

These aircrafts were supplied by the US to Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales programme, to be paid entirely by Pakistani national funds. It included 12 new F-16C Block 52 and 6 new 2-seat F-16D Block 52+ new aircrafts, with the deal valued at $1.43 billion. All the aircrafts have been delivered to Pakistan now.

When these sales were approved in 2006, some members of the US Congress had strongly objected to these high-end fighters being supplied to Pakistan. Many restrictions on their usage by Pakistan were then imposed by the Bush administration.

Washington has demanded what it calls unprecedented steps to safeguard the advanced F-16C/D models, their spare parts and munitions from third parties — especially China, which has closed military ties to Pakistan.

"¦The initial security plan for the F-16s was presented to Congress on July 20 by John Hillen, the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, who described it as "extraordinary" and "unprecedented."

In testimony to the House of Representatives' International Relations Committee, Hillen highlighted segregation of the aircraft from third country-origin aircraft and munitions, semi-annual F-16 inventories and more frequent looks at associated systems by U.S. personnel.

Hillen, in his testimony, disclosed the United States was withholding unspecified technologies "that would usually go with an F16," including ones that would let it "be used in offensive ways to penetrate air space of another country that was highly defended."

In addition, F-16 flights outside of Pakistan, including exercises with others, "must be approved in advance by the U.S. government," he said