New Delhi: India has expressed concern over the recent US decision to provide a $450 million “subsistence package” to Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jet fleet to help the country combat terrorism.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh gave this information to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the phone on Wednesday.
“Had a warm and fruitful telephone conversation. We discussed the growing convergence of strategic interests and enhanced defense and security cooperation,” Singh tweeted.
“We also discussed ways to strengthen technical and industrial cooperation and explore cooperation in emerging and critical technologies,” the minister said.
Singh said he looks forward to continuing talks with Austin to further strengthen the India-US partnership.
On 8 September, the Joe Biden administration approved a $450 million F-16 fleet maintenance program to help Pakistan deal with current and future counter-terrorism threats. It was Washington’s first major security aid to Islamabad in four years.
“Pakistan is an important partner in many ways, an important counter-terrorism partner. And as part of our long-standing policy, we provide lifecycle maintenance and continuity packages for US-native platforms,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters in his daily news conference on Tuesday.
Price said, “Pakistan’s F-16 program is an important part of the broader US-Pakistan bilateral relationship, and this proposed sale will enhance Pakistan’s ability to deal with current and future counter-terrorism threats while maintaining an F-16 fleet.” Will maintain.”
Stating that it was a fleet that allows Pakistan to support counter-terrorist operations, Price urged the country to take sustained action against all terrorist groups.
Included in the upgrade were US government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics services to support the follow-up of Pakistan’s F-16 fleet.
This included modification and support of aircraft and engine hardware and software, as well as repair and return of jet and engine parts, classified and declassified software and software support.
The deal, however, will not Increase “Any new capability, weapon or munitions” for the aircraft which is the main fighter aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force.
Pakistan in 2019 same plane used US-supplied AIM-120 C-5 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) to target India after the Balakot attack and to shoot down the then Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s MiG-21 Bison As reported by ThePrint last week.
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