Pakistan To Buy C-130s, Get Reimbursed For F-16s

Aerospace Daily
September 18, 2002

Pakistan To Buy C-130s, Get Reimbursed For F-16s

NEW DELHI – Days after notifying Congress of the proposed sale of defense equipment to India, Washington has approved the sale of a major defense package to Pakistan, according to Pakistani diplomats here.

The package includes seven used C-130E aircraft, which had been requested earlier (DAILY, July 19), as well as three P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft, Harpoon missiles and other equipment, totaling about $400 million.

The diplomats also said Pakistan would be reimbursed for 28 F-16s it paid for earlier, but which were blocked when U.S. sanctions were put in place as a response to Pakistan’s nuclear tests.

A senior Indian ministry of defense official said New Delhi has registered its displeasure with the sale of the defense equipment to rival Pakistan.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency recently announced the sale of a defense package worth about $100 million to India, including four counter-battery artillery radar sets (DAILY, Sept. 16).