Pakistan

Final batch of F-16s arrive

Final batch of Block-52 F-16 Jet fighters from the US land at Shahbaz Airbase.

Express December 13, 2010

The final batch of Block-52 F-16 Jet fighters arrived in Pakistan from the United States on Monday.

Six new F-16 aircrafts landed at the Shahbaz Airbase, while Pakistan had already received 12 fighter jets earlier.

Pakistan had signed a contract with the US government back in 2005-06 for acquisition of 18 F-16 C/D Block 52 aircraft.

Under this arrangement, the PAF would receive these state-of-the-art aircraft from the US government in staggered batches.

The F-16 C/D Block 52 aircraft is a high tech fighter aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art avionics suite and latest weapons having Night Precision Attack capability.

COMMENTS (39)

AANIS KAMAL | 14 years ago | Reply FINALY THE FALACON FIGHTER ARRIVED AT ITS NEST

sharjeel khan | 14 years ago | Reply to the likes of sankalp you too please read before commenting http://forum.pakistanidefence.com/lofiversion/index.php/t74840.html

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sharjeel khan | 14 years ago | Reply @sandy please read the last comment on the link that you provided yourself in your previous comment. thanks

sharjeel khan | 14 years ago | Reply @kittu but dont you thinkthat your very own argument is also true for india. spending 12 bln dollars on air force when domestic conditions are like this http://www.livemint.com/articles/2007/10/16235421/80-of-Indians-live-on-less-th.html

Sankalp | 14 years ago | Reply to the likes of sharjeel khans and amer Please read before you comment... link text

Sankalp | 14 years ago | Reply @Waqas

I can see them crying, wailing and complaining to Papa Russia, Mama UK and Uncle Sam

Stop being delusional and give it a thought already for you might come 2 know whose is the actual crybaby, begging for more, each and everytime!

Apeman | 14 years ago | Reply more toys? such a waste of money. when will we curtail our military budget, and spend money on our socio-economic development instead. (and in reply to an earlier comment, the jf-17 is a piece of junk anyways).

Nazir Habib | 14 years ago | Reply Good !!! The PAF's aspirations or should we say stand by arrangements are complete, so now this is INSHALLAH UL AZIZ the last time we buy from the USA. Even the servicing, maintenance and spare parts should be done and manufactured in PAC Kamra or Turkey. Salams and best wishes.

Kittu | 14 years ago | Reply @Sharjeel Khan & @Amer.. Dudes...Come out of the well you are in. I don't mind Pakistan getting these F16s. But I personally think its waste of money from pakistani perspective. This money can be used else where...Here is the link you are looking for ...I too am surprised at the conditions agreed by Pak Govt for getting these toys. http://tribune.com.pk/story/20939/us-to-deliver-18-f-16s-to-pakistan-by-months-end/

jbutt | 14 years ago | Reply we should try to make our own and not rely on others.

sandy | 14 years ago | Reply @ Sharjeel. Below is the link from Pakistan newspapers itself that these birds cannot be used in any cause other than war on terror. There are very stiff conditions attached with these sales, especially against other countries. http://www.pakistantalk.com/forums/air-force/7035-paf-get-f-16s-tough-stipulations.html Once US pulls out of Afghan in 2 years, there will be major change in policies and the money that flows into Pak.

Amer | 14 years ago | Reply Guys, As far as freezing our military budget and getting to work on our education, economy and infrastructure etc is concern, I am 100% with you. But before you start bashing these new planes, think about when we paid for them etc. It was long before the flood.....

War is bad | 14 years ago | Reply No food! but F16s O.K.! I hope they sell these and buy some food to feed the flood victims. It is funny that Pakistan begs from all countries for aid while it keeps buying weapons which it may never use.

CJ | 14 years ago | Reply We have state of the art missiles and war head in form of nuclear, India herself knew she cant strike Pakistan with any form of war be it cold start or full fledged, I knew our PAF badly needed these F-16 but what I believe is that these are not solution of our problems, we should freeze our defense budget and invest on education & economy, the only investment we should do in our defense is our missile & nuclear programs, we should stop investing in conventional weapons.

Ali | 14 years ago | Reply It's a delicate balance. We need a credible deterrant but also need to have a country worth defending! I think the balance is far too much in favour of the miltary at the moment at the cost of educating the citizens of the country. These fancy arms that the Indians are buying are being part funded by their growing economy. How did they get their? They developed great educational institutes and the resulting gain to the economy was HUGE!!

Kamal | 14 years ago | Reply Yaar Waqas....have u ever heard about that.From morg to evening you curse US and when same US gives you F-16 as an compensation for killing your people by drones,you want other country to be yellow and green..ask for something more from US..

Manoj | 14 years ago | Reply @Waris You and right thinking people like you are true patriot. We need people like you in both India and Pakistan. Regards

Waris | 14 years ago | Reply Great, we have just gotten more F-16's, which many other countries also have, while millions of our citizens are still homeless from the floods, our foreign policy is reduced to shreds by Merkel, Sarkozy, Cameron, Obama etc. India has just signed a deal to buy/build 300 5th generation stealth jets with Russia, and is about to get 126 new fighter jets (eurofighter, FA-18 super hornet, Mig-35) etc... and we should be proud we bought a handful of old jets? Saudi Arabia has better jets than us. I am going crazy while you nationalistic fools thump your chests. Will these useless waste of money jets prevent drone strikes on our citizens? Fact is, no major country is going to war in the next 50 years... Let's forget about our bloated army. We have nuclear missiles for the ultimate deterrent. We cannot match India for conventional arms. Let's rebuild our infrastructure, root out the terrorism, fix our schools, highways, universities, get educated citizens to help our economy and go abroad.

Amer | 14 years ago | Reply @Farhat: Maybe you should get your facts right first then jump in to comment.

Amer | 14 years ago | Reply @Kittu: Yea, yea, yea.... LOL How the heck do you guys come up with these jokes! I am sure PAF has no doubt in their hearts and minds about where they would use these F-16s. P.S: I don't know where Indians get ideas like this one... just bounching around like yo yos. Pakistan Zindabad! PAF Zindabad!

sharjeel khan | 14 years ago | Reply @kittu do you have any kind of evidence about what u are saying or it is just masala things indians love to say and hear all the time???????????????????

Waqas | 14 years ago | Reply Again Indians must have turned yellow and green reading this :-) I can see them crying, wailing and complaining to Papa Russia, Mama UK and Uncle Sam. Live under no illusions, enemies, we will use them on any threat that emanates from within or outside our country. We don't want war, but if it is imposed (like before) we know how to take your teeth out :-)

NaK | 14 years ago | Reply Finaly this Government success to get the Jets, now if your questioning that, what can we did with these ? because our enemy is fighty in our own street and area's ? so you are right but other side the balance of power in region we really need this, because of India and if you are talking about the conditions agreed by Pakistan Gov. so its depend on condition of time in future.

Kittu | 14 years ago | Reply @Hasan Ali FYI...Pakistan cannot use these F16s against India. Thats the condition agreed by Pakistan Govt for acquiring these f16s.

Aslam Farid, Sharjah | 14 years ago | Reply Hahaha! F-16s abound, while no sugar, grain or fuel at affordable prices! And, whatever is available is of abhorrent quality and insanely priced. Good governance, indeed! Wonder how Pakistanis are able to bear these charlatans! And, it is their responsibility.

Haris Chaudhry | 14 years ago | Reply What a waste of billions for a dirt poor nation that is surviving on hand outs from US, IMF and World Bank. Americans must look at us in total disbelief as we are being eaten away from within by the dismal law and order situation and failing economy but prepared to spend billions on these useless piece of equipment that is most likely ever to be flown on 23 March to impress the illiterate masses. Haris

hasan ali | 14 years ago | Reply from a military stand point, we need to maintain minimum credible deterrence at all costs. we paid for these jets during the period between 2006-2007, the natural calamities struck afterwards and our country's situation worsened later on. india is amassing 130 4th/5th generation fighter gets over the next 5years or so. amidst all the critique and hue and cry against these jets being part of paf, we should be thankful for what we have got. the only institution with honor and dedication untarnished is Pakistan Air Force. JF-17 is a great achievement, but for it to be cleared fully for operational use and formal induction, we need another 3-4years, hence to bridge that gap we needed some worthy acquisitions into our fighter fleet. our familiarisation with this weapon system is 3decade old. and for the social, political and economic unrest prevailing in our country we have no one to blame but ourselves. no time for plusses or minuses, focal point is change on an individual level first and then the nation as a whole.

faraz | 14 years ago | Reply After buying jets from US, we should shoot down US drones. Imran Khan

Farhat | 14 years ago | Reply @Amer, they were not paid for by Pakistan but a "bheekh" by USA

Iqbal Khan | 14 years ago | Reply Thanks for importing outdated F-16s as white elephants !!!!

Critic | 14 years ago | Reply There was a time when we used to be obsessively proud of our army....how that time is also starting to wither away. If there's any patriotism left in us, there's no force to keep it alive, be it politicias or generals.....our last hope is the helpless 'awaam' :(

Talha | 14 years ago | Reply Excellent, we can now bomb the floods away. Then we fight the economic and social problems with Tomahawk missiles fired from the F-16. Pakistan is back in business with a vengeance.

Amer | 14 years ago | Reply Guys chill out! We probably paid for these years ago and they are sending them now. At least they didn't send wheat and soya beans ... we got planes. http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Columns/30-Jun-2010/F16s-debilitating-conditionalities AND we all love new music videos with Jets in them, don't we...... Now let's go all together.... Tum hi say aay mujahidon, jahan ka sabat hai! :)

Ali | 14 years ago | Reply More toys for the khaki boys! Never mind that the people are starving, half drowned by flood waters, crushed by poverty, and constantly under the threat of being bombed by the khaki boys (once and still) favoured jihadi sons: after all, they must be defended from imagined invasions!

Syed Nadir El-Edroos | 14 years ago | Reply Someones going to have a big ego tonight!

Zab786 | 14 years ago | Reply A good news for all of Pakistani citizens from PAF side,..Pakistan Air Force need to more import f-16 in latest version like USA had f-16 21st century jet air craft no parrallel of that instead of Pak-China's JF-17 thunder is one who can compare with all sort of latest air craft's.

S. Ali Raza | 14 years ago | Reply Good.. so now we can sell them and fix a bit of our economy.

Atif Khan | 14 years ago | Reply These jets will help the economy?

Rehan | 14 years ago | Reply Wot for?! Flood rescue operations?!

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