Pakistan Said Close to F-16 Fighter Purchase

[Guest Chainsaw]

Jim Wolf, ReutersMon, 14 Aug 2006, 02:34

Pakistan appears close to signing a potential $5 billion deal for an advanced F-16 fighter-jet package, despite stepped-up security demands pushed by U.S. lawmakers, the official responsible for the sale said Aug. 11.

 

Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, head of the Pentagon?s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, said he expected a government-to-government pact locking in the purchase to be wrapped up as early as this month or the middle of next month.

 

The agreement would clear the way for the U.S. Air Force to complete a so-called foreign military sales contract with Lockheed Martin Corp., which builds the F-16, as soon as November, he said in reply to queries from Reuters.

 

Supplying updated F-16s to Pakistan is a key part of President Bush?s South Asia strategy, unveiled in March 2005 and aimed at boosting and balancing post-Sept. 11 security ties with India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

 

The sale would bolster President Pervez Musharraf in backing the U.S.-declared global war on terror and expand U.S. access, influence and leverage, U.S. officials have said.

 

But 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.

 

Despite these stiff precautions, Pakistan would get a fighter said by Washington to be stripped of a cutting-edge offensive capability, supposedly incapable of delivering nuclear weapons and subject to U.S. government say on when it could be flown overseas.

 

On June 28, the Bush administration formally notified Congress of plans to sell Pakistan up to 36 Block 50/52 Falcon fighters, the most advanced F-16 flown by U.S. forces. Related sales involved upgrades for Pakistan?s older-model F-16s and munitions, including up to 500 AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, in a package with a combined value of up to $5 billion if all options are exercised.

 

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.

 

Still, the House panel?s top Republican and Democrat demanded even more U.S. monitoring and oversight. Rep. Tom Lantos, the top Democrat, said he supported the sale, but was worried about technology security in a country "that produced the A.Q Khan nuclear network."

 

Khan is a Pakistani scientist who confessed in 2004 to dodging international safeguards to smuggle banned nuclear wares to North Korea and Iran among others, purportedly acting on his own, with no state knowledge.

 

After a followup July 20 closed-door session with Lantos and others, Bush administration officials beefed up the F-16 related security plan in ways not made public.

 

"We responded to reasonable requests from members of Congress," Kohler said by email through a spokesman. "And the changes should not be viewed as onerous by Pakistan."

 

The Pakistani embassy declined to comment.

 

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.

 

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Source(?): Jim Wolf, Reuters

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