India lets US know: F-16s for Pak could cloud IAF’s 126-plane deal

[1.44]

India lets US know: F-16s for Pak could cloud IAF’s 126-plane deal
​

While Pakistan may have pitched hard with the US for early transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft and other sophisticated military equipment, a concerned India is learnt to have raised the stakes by indicating to the US that such a transfer may not go down well at a time when two US companies are bidding for the 126 multi-role combat aircraft tender floated by India. This $10 billion-plus tender is considered one of the biggest international military contracts in the world now. At present, six companies are in the fray: F-16 from Lockheed Martin (US), Boeing’s F-18 SH (US), Eurofighter from a European consortium, the Rafale from France, the Swedish Gripen, and Russian Mig-35.
Most trials are over with the IAF planning to shortlist contenders on the basis of their performance in the next few months.
Pakistan has been in negotiations with the US on obtaining 18 F-16s for the past few years. However, this has been riddled by fears of it being used only to strengthen its military capabilities against India and not justifiably needed in the war against terror.


The Obama Administration had initially said it would ensure that military aid is directed to building Pakistan military’s capacities in counter-insurgency warfare alone.
In this context, India has been concerned over reports that Washington is now making way for F-16 supplies along with laser-guided bomb kits besides other sophisticated equipment. It’s learnt that the matter came up for detailed discussion during Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao’s recent visit to Washington, which was meant to carry forward the conversation on high technology trade.
While the US assured India that it was not contemplating to move forward with a Pakistan-specific nuclear deal which would only accentuate proliferation concerns in the region, there has been lesser clarity on military sales and transfers. India, sources said, has told the US that the intention of the Pakistan government seems to be to only build its military profile against India using American aid. Weapon systems such as the F-16 aircraft are a clear pointer to this, added sources.
By linking this with the 126-aircraft MMRCA deal, India is not ruling out the possibility of such a transfer to Pakistan becoming a factor in its ultimate selection process.
This apart, Rao’s visit also saw India underline the need for Washington to do a prompt rethink on the entities list which still has certain ISRO entities on the list and that this does not augur well with the fact that the two countries worked together in the successful conduct of the Chandrayaan mission.
Given that there is already a case-by-case clearance mechanism before transfer of high technology goods to any Indian entity, India feels that this “double screening” is proving counterproductive.



http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20100326/1246/twl-india-lets-us-know-f-16s-for-pak-cou.html

 

[Yusuf]

Nirupama Rao seems to have grown some b***s. Would be interesting to see the US response. I am afraid that it will not be as India would like. The US govt always gets its work done one way or the other using various ,means.

I think what india needs to do is work with the members of the US congress and senate. Make sure that they are told repeatedly about what factories in their constituencies will loose if the US govt goes ahead with sales to pakistan. What india can also do is offer to buy higher quantities of the items they are begging from US on the condition that it will not be given to pakistan. A total purchase of such demands would hardly coat 5 billion. Lose change these days in the overall picture and to potentially preempt any acquisition by pakistan to be used against india.

 

[thakur_ritesh]

Good the government is at last asking the Americans to make their choice, or else it was getting just too easy for the Pakistanis and the government here seemed like completely sleeping over all that was happening. What has a f16, or war ships or a harpoon etc got to do anything with the WoT, it is important for India to now start exerting its hawkish side and if pushed to the corner on this relationship then they should have it in them to walk over this relationship and snap it off if need be and then we will see who is it they will use as a counter balance for the PRC, as it is Japan has started showing their backside to them so it is them who needs India more today than us running after them.

The list of 56 even if it gets fulfilled 20-25% will have a huge impact on the regional balance of power something the paks are loosing out on quite fast which has them as a worried lot, and if we can force it from not happening it will be a huge setback to Pakistan and to the relations between the US and pak. Nuke deal is just a hogwash, aim is to extract other things to the max by shouting you are doing nothing on the nuke deal front and play their usual victim card, even the paks understand they wont get that deal till the time they sign the npt, and possibly ctbt, atleast till the time democrats are in town.

The threat is not about those 126-200jets which are really peanuts for the US but once this were to happen it would indeed mean the so-called warm indo-us relations going into a deep slumber.

That aside, if India was at the end to walk the talk and pull off, it will all be chandi for the French in the mmrca deal since with big enough US components used in both EF and gripen India would shy away from inducting those two, but all this is taking it a little too far for I am sure our government can just do some public posturing but nothing beyond.

 

[anoop_mig25]

Nirupama Rao seems to have grown some b***s. Would be interesting to see the US response. I am afraid that it will not be as India would like. The US govt always gets its work done one way or the other using various ,means.

I think what india needs to do is work with the members of the US congress and senate. Make sure that they are told repeatedly about what factories in their constituencies will loose if the US govt goes ahead with sales to pakistan. What india can also do is offer to buy higher quantities of the items they are begging from US on the condition that it will not be given to pakistan. A total purchase of such demands would hardly coat 5 billion. Lose change these days in the overall picture and to potentially preempt any acquisition by pakistan to be used against india.

i agree with u on using good office of indians leaving in america to influence us congress but this might irk Obama administration .but i donot agree with u that i order to prevent pakistan for getting f-16 or any advance military hardware , we should by that in large quantity with caveat in that it wont be sold to pakistan. americans would never accept this .plus what is grantee that once we buy hardware in large quantity america wont turn back to us.instead we should have patiently waited for american response on PAK`s demand of advance military equipment.now there is good chance that american`s are going to wait till our search for MMRCA is over .if we select F-16 OR F-18A/F then still america is going to sell f-16 to pakistan and if we didn`t select any one of them then still they are going to sell f-16 to pakistan . in between till our search for MMRCA isn`t over american our going to influence /use their clout so that we buy american planes or equipment

 

[Yusuf]

The pakistanis can't wait that long. They want to sign the dotted line now. India is going to take quite some time to decide on the MRCA.

The pre emption thing can be played well. Its something that we actually don't want so when it comes doesn't matter for us. But all we want to do is to throw a spanner into the works for pakistan.

Float an RFP for what pakistan is begging and get the americans excited. Then say well I don't think you guys will qualify as you are going to supply the same to pakistan.
Have you heard of a jealous actor who buys the tickets to a play of a rival so that no one comes to watch the show? Something like that. We have to use all the tricks we have at our disposal. No harm in trying.