PAF inducts new F-16 aircraft
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has inducted the first three of 18 new F-16 aircraft delivered to the Pakistani government by the US.
An induction ceremony was held on Sunday at the Shahbaz Air Base near Jacobabad and attended by approximately 300 Pakistani and US officials, including PAF Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman and the US Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz.
“The induction of these advanced F-16s is a historic milestone for US-Pakistan relations. It is both a symbolic and tangible demonstration of our strong partnership,” said US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson. “These aircraft underscore the promise made by the US to support Pakistan to achieve our mutual goals of defeating violent extremists and establishing peace and security.”
US Defence Representative to Pakistan Vice Admiral Michael LeFever said that the aircraft will enable increased coordination between the PAF, the US Air Force and the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) coalition air forces.
Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said that these new aircraft will begin a new era of high-tech environment in the PAF. “This technology will not only eliminate our existing limitations of night operations but also enable the PAF to meet its mission more effectively and to defend our country against any internal or external threat,” he said.
The F-16 aircraft boast additional fuel and payload capacity, new and improved sensors and coloured cockpit displays with enhanced pilot interfaces. The next batch is scheduled to arrive in August while all 18 aircraft will be in Pakistan by January 2012. Apart from these new aircraft, the US is working with the PAF to update 45 F-16s from its existing fighter fleet through the US foreign military financing security assistance programme. Once updated, these aircraft will have similar capabilities to the new F-16s and their first batch is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan in early 2012.
During the last three years, US civilian and security assistance to Pakistan has totalled more than $4 billion. Assistance has included support for medical aid, school refurbishment, bridge and well reconstruction, food distribution, agricultural and education projects. Apart from the three new F-16 fighter planes, other US security assistance includes an earlier delivery of 14 more F-16 fighter aircraft, more than 450 vehicles for Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and hundreds of night vision goggles. The US also provided training for more than 370 Pakistani military officers in a wide range of leadership and development programmes covering topics such as counterterrorism, intelligence, logistics, health, flight safety, and military law.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2010.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has inducted the first three of 18 new F-16 aircraft delivered to the Pakistani government by the US.
An induction ceremony was held on Sunday at the Shahbaz Air Base near Jacobabad and attended by approximately 300 Pakistani and US officials, including PAF Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman and the US Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz.
“The induction of these advanced F-16s is a historic milestone for US-Pakistan relations. It is both a symbolic and tangible demonstration of our strong partnership,” said US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson. “These aircraft underscore the promise made by the US to support Pakistan to achieve our mutual goals of defeating violent extremists and establishing peace and security.”
US Defence Representative to Pakistan Vice Admiral Michael LeFever said that the aircraft will enable increased coordination between the PAF, the US Air Force and the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) coalition air forces.
Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said that these new aircraft will begin a new era of high-tech environment in the PAF. “This technology will not only eliminate our existing limitations of night operations but also enable the PAF to meet its mission more effectively and to defend our country against any internal or external threat,” he said.
The F-16 aircraft boast additional fuel and payload capacity, new and improved sensors and coloured cockpit displays with enhanced pilot interfaces. The next batch is scheduled to arrive in August while all 18 aircraft will be in Pakistan by January 2012. Apart from these new aircraft, the US is working with the PAF to update 45 F-16s from its existing fighter fleet through the US foreign military financing security assistance programme. Once updated, these aircraft will have similar capabilities to the new F-16s and their first batch is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan in early 2012.
During the last three years, US civilian and security assistance to Pakistan has totalled more than $4 billion. Assistance has included support for medical aid, school refurbishment, bridge and well reconstruction, food distribution, agricultural and education projects. Apart from the three new F-16 fighter planes, other US security assistance includes an earlier delivery of 14 more F-16 fighter aircraft, more than 450 vehicles for Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and hundreds of night vision goggles. The US also provided training for more than 370 Pakistani military officers in a wide range of leadership and development programmes covering topics such as counterterrorism, intelligence, logistics, health, flight safety, and military law.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2010.