US plan to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16s worries India

* Indian official says Islamabad could use F-16s against New Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Indian defence establishment is “concerned” by the United States’ decision to divert $230 million in aid to Pakistan from counter-terrorism programmes to upgrading its F-16 fighter jets.

“Acquisition of new airborne capabilities by Pakistan is definitely a matter of concern for India since it’s always primarily directed at us. If the US thinks Pakistan will only use its upgraded F-16s for counter-terrorism operations, it is sadly mistaken,” Times of India quoted a top Indian defence official as saying on condition of anonymity.

India’s Western Air Command (WAC) chief Air Marshal PK Barbora, in turn, said, “Every country does what it thinks is needed for its defence requirements. The question is what is going to be given to Pakistan with the F-16 upgrade programme.”

The Bush administration says Pakistan’s F-16s will be upgraded with advanced targeting, precision-guided munitions and radar systems to improve their capability to attack terrorist targets along the volatile Afghan border.

This upgrade programme of 30 of the original 40 F-16s acquired by Pakistan between 1983 and 1987 comes after Washington also agreed to sell Islamabad 18 to 25 new F-16 variants armed with a wide array of advanced missiles.

“Moreover, Pakistan will begin inducting the first lot of the planned 250 JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighters from China by the end of 2008. We obviously have to keep a close watch on this. Fighters are weapons of war, not counter-terrorism,” said another Indian officer.

But even as the Indian Air Force (IAF) grapples with a steady downturn in the number of fighter squadrons - down to just 32 from the ‘sanctioned strength’ of 39.5 - it is “not too worried” at the developments. “We have our own plans of new acquisitions and upgrades of existing fleets to boost our defence preparedness,” said Barbora, whose command is primarily responsible for guarding the skies on the entire western front.

Sources said plans for faster induction of 230 Sukhoi-30MKIs contracted from Russia in deals worth around $8.5 billion are currently under way. They said for instance, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd was working towards completing its licensed production of 140 Sukhois by 2013-14 instead of 2017-18 as previously planned.

Sources said India planned to upgrade 125 MiG-21 ‘Bisons’ and around 100 MiG-27s and Jaguars with new weapons and avionics packages. They said India had also signed a $964 million deal with Russia to refit its 63 MiG-29s, adding that a similar deal was in the pipeline with France for IAF’s 51 Mirage-2000s. online


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p...7-7-2008_pg7_13

Same old Indian attitude. Always crying. I wonder where MRCA deal is burried?

LOOL haha they says it not too worried but yet all the defence ppl are barking at the media like its the end of the war!!....just plain old indians!

There should be a smiley eating popcorn on PDF.

AOA,

It is not a new thing for us.

They are in depression. LCA program not moving forward whereas JF-17 has successfully entered in production, Su-30 production is moving slow, their pilots are quitting from IAF and are joining airlines that give them attractive salary packages.
And the quality of PAF pilots training continue to improve.

Even a slight move by Pakistan to upgrade its weapon system, pain the Indians!!!!!!

But we have to keep an eagle eye on the Indian lobby present in these supplier countries.

Enjoy,
Allah hafiz

Hmm ... last time I checked, AEW is a surveillance platform used for defensive purposes. The 'Primarily Directed' is one of the lamest things I have ever heard. But of course, what can you expect from a bunch of retarded monkies, who start crying like babies if Pakistan gets even a pacifier from the United States or any other western country. For 30 years, we have survived without AEW system, since its inception. This a defensive platform which will allow PAF to operate at a higher level of vigilance and command its air space.

Perhaps the anonymous blabber mouth indian official should first go get basic education on military hardware applications. Unless of course, at DODO (drdo), they teach everyone that you can actually use AEWs to launch cruise missiles, fire laser cannons and launch nuclear air-to-air missiles!!!!



Wow .... you know, you're absolutely right! This is why, USAF does not have its Vipers operating over Afghanistan & Iraq!!!! Now why would they need the air force fighter aircraft when the battle is being fought on the ground?!!!? Surely, the Brits sent in their latest upgraded GR9 Harriers to do an air show for Karzai!!!!??? And perhaps, the French sent in their brand spankin new Rafales into Afghanistan, just to show off their fighters to the Yanks and Brits.

This j@©k@$$ indian keeps proving that he has an acumen of a total retard, escaped from a mental institution!



Hey I have a suggestion .... how about you stick your head up your rear and you'll probably find the answer there!!!!



Does this retard know that their airforce plans to induct/upgrade

- 230 Su-30 Flankers
- 200 MMRCAs
- 100 Jaguar
- 100 Floggers
- 100 Bisons
- 60 Fulcrums
- 50 Mirages
- 12 Backfires
- 70 Harriers (navy)
- 30 Fulcrum (navy)

How many does that amount to?? Maybe around 900 fighters combined air force and navy! And this is against what?

- 30 Vanguards
- 70 Vipers
- 250 Thunders
- 12 Mirages (navy).

So this 'indian officer' is trying to tell us that his air force is shitting in its pants because we will have 362 fighters that are suppose to attack india which has an air force of over 912 fighters and bombers???

Wow .... you almost had me going there!!

But seriously, who - other than the Indian air force - is the PAF mainly intended to confront? Afganistan (do they even have an air force?)? Iran or China? (are these countries likely - more likely than India - to come into conflict with Pakistan) ?

I have a Question why dont they protest when Russia sells hardware to them(China), with all due respect i could say the very same we dont have any intentions of going to war with india(just like i am sure they dont have any of going to a full scale war with us) and looking at a few decades or so neither does China have any hostile intentions towards india,may i ask who does india purchase and plan to use SU's and MRCA's against. They protest even if we buy Europian or American farts to them thats also a threat.

We buy JF-17 they protest to Russia against the RD-93's, we buy Mica and RC-400 they protect to france, we buy F-16's new or old or even upgrade them they protest to the Americans what the hell.

Do we protest when they buy SU's do we protest when they buy MRCA's do we protest when they try to jump into the same deals as us.

Yes we did protest but against the Civial nuclear deal thats the only thing i ever saw GOP protesting against.

They buy new hardware to replace their old worn out hardware when we do the exact same may it be JF-17's,J-10,F-16 or any XYZ item to replace our aging Mirages,F-7's and A-5's they protest.

As far as your Question goes who actually we might confront well looking at things past,present and future Pakistan has faced many threats besides india and that too includes israelis,Russians and if the sh!t hits the fan the NATO and American forces in Afganistan.

Ahmm man the whole indian nation seems to be a bunch of fa-gs!!! Whining like women all the times!!

pak media nor govt do anything when those a**h*ls get latest weaponry. maybe govt can learn from them.

phatttttttttt gayeeeeeeeeeeee

No, we instead congratulate their prime minister for surviving the vote of confidence...

Indians crying foul isn't something out of the extraordinary. Besides, they take advantage of such opportunities to justify their own weapons build up. Anyhow, we shouldn't be all too jumpy and jolly about the F-16 deal. Anything can happen to that deal considering the upcoming elections. Concealed threats have already been made in their congress. It has been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride with the F-16s. The amount of disgrace and questioning Pakistan has had to face due to this particular deal is simply beyond imagination. Our hostile neighbor on the other hand is being spoilt with nuclear deals and most sophisticated pieces of hardware. Even rules and treaties are being broken. No one is blinking an eye. Many have questioned the F-16 deal on both sides. I for one don't have any faith in this deal anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up empty handed. We should hold our head up high and continue with the JF-17 and J-10 projects which suffice our needs more than the F-16s ever could. PAF has achieved milestones with the help of our Chinese brethren. Precedence should be given to further enhancing such JVs with the only trusted ally. The F-16 deal shouldn't be on the priority list. It would merely present a cherry on top of the cake if we manage to get our hands on them.

This is where the pharase quality v quantity really drives the message home, India is inducting dozens of Su-30s, and Pakistan recives 14 aircraft which not only changes the phyche of the PAF but also causes a "knee tremble" across the border, and people this is why the PAF is second to none!!!!!

MWWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHA

Why do you care that they protest? Are they having any effect with protests? No? Then let them protest!

In determining a defense posture, it is normal for any nation to consider any possible threat, even - or perhaps especially - the unlikely ones (360 degree). You can only be betrayed by those you trust.

Yes their protests sometimes effect. Like Mr Bush can claim that these F-16 fighter jets will prove a unique and the most superior technology thus the capabilities shall be reduced to maintain a equalibrium in the region!!

WHO KNOWS???

India and China were involved in a border clash in 1962, since then everything India inducts, conducts, tests is supposedly China orientated where as India attacked Pakistan in 1965, invaded then East Pakistan in 1971, occupied Siachin Glacier peaks in 1986, introduces nuclear weapons in the subcontinent etc etc............there are no prizes for guessing, where the threat for Pakistan eminates from!

Sad part of diplomacy.
They have big country, big economy and big democracy...........

And in recent vote of no confidence moot, leading Indian politicians were refering to it as........the biggest .......shamocracy, and not without reason!!!

The old women are complaining yet again lol when will they shut up.

I thought as much ;-)