US Defense Department awards $42.3m contract for Pakistan F-16 upgrades
Lockheed Martin awarded contract to provide 10 additional upgrade kits for Pakistan’s F-16 aircrafts.
KARACHI:
The US Defense Department has awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company a $42.3 million contract to provide 10 additional upgrade kits for Pakistan’s F-16 aircrafts.
The contract has been awarded under the Foreign Military Sales programme.
Lockheed Martin will provide upgradation kits for the Pakistan F-16 A/B Block 15 Aircraft Enhanced Modernisation Programme.
Furthermore, the package includes 18 panel "simuspheres", logistic support up to 21 months of which 12 months on-site and nine months on-call support will be provided.
Various related hardware and software systems are also included.
However, Pakistan had earlier ordered 50 JF-17 jets from China -- Pakistan's largest aircraft provider -- which are due to be delivered in six months, said a statement from the Defense Ministry of Pakistan.
Earlier, in June 2010, US delivered the first batch of Block-52 F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to Pakistan.
Pakistan paid $1.4 billion for the jets and an additional $1.3 billion for the up gradation of its previous fleet of the fighter jets.
Back in Musharraf's government, in January 2008, former US president George W. Bush scrapped nearly a $500 million deal to supply 18 F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin Co. to Pakistan.
The US Defense Department has awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company a $42.3 million contract to provide 10 additional upgrade kits for Pakistan’s F-16 aircrafts.
The contract has been awarded under the Foreign Military Sales programme.
Lockheed Martin will provide upgradation kits for the Pakistan F-16 A/B Block 15 Aircraft Enhanced Modernisation Programme.
Furthermore, the package includes 18 panel "simuspheres", logistic support up to 21 months of which 12 months on-site and nine months on-call support will be provided.
Various related hardware and software systems are also included.
However, Pakistan had earlier ordered 50 JF-17 jets from China -- Pakistan's largest aircraft provider -- which are due to be delivered in six months, said a statement from the Defense Ministry of Pakistan.
Earlier, in June 2010, US delivered the first batch of Block-52 F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to Pakistan.
Pakistan paid $1.4 billion for the jets and an additional $1.3 billion for the up gradation of its previous fleet of the fighter jets.
Back in Musharraf's government, in January 2008, former US president George W. Bush scrapped nearly a $500 million deal to supply 18 F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin Co. to Pakistan.