Nitin

How long was Marut in IAF use?

if any is questioning the AMRAAM, then he is living in a dream world. I don’t think US or Pakistan ever equated F-16 and related hardware sale with “war against terrorism”.

Pakistan has always said that in past 15 years of sanctions, their Air Force has deteriorated and they need to improve its current status. With its enemies aquiring AWACS and BVR, its only logical. US arming Pakistan under pre-cursor of war against terror, whether it be AWACS, BVR, F-16, ships, Harpoon, C-130, you name it, can be termed as rewarding Pakistan for helping US in this war, period….

So Pakistanis claiming that these sales are to fight against terror, US claiming this would help Pakistan to fight modern Al-Qaida, or India crying over this purchase wont change the fact that Pakistan needs these equipement to keep Indias off of its borders and in check and US needs to keep Pakistan military happy and reward Pakistan to keep its anti-US population quiet.

So, I think we should move on and stop questioning why Pakistan needs them and why US is seeling them….

By the way my ealier prediction or FYI already seems to be coming true and here is the prove.

F-16s to be delivered soon: air chief

By our correspondent

HYDERABAD: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat has said positive indications are coming from the US government in connection with the F-16 fighter planes and, God willing, the planes will be delivered soon.

He was talking to newsmen after the inauguration of a school in Rashidabad near here. Federal Minister Atta-ur-Rehman and Sindh Education Minister Hameeda Khohru accompanied the air chief marshal.

Asked will Pakistan get the F-16 planes, he smiled and replied it was a decision of President Bush and the US government and positive signals are coming. He said the Pakistan Air Force knows how to fight. He added the PAF is ready to shed every drop of its blood for the defence of Pakistan, adding nobody should have any doubts about it.Later, the air chief marshal inaugurated the under-construction work of the school building.

Ok guys

Some info, should start coming in the news in first quater of 2005

1. PAF will be going for 4 hawkeyes along with 6 Erieyes.
2. PAF is buying 60 some kits for F-16 MLU, 60 some MLY meaning they are buying around 28 used F-16s (for now)
3. After this MLU request, more requets will be made for AMRAAM, and JDAM
4. By the end of the year, new F-16s should be ordered.
5. No aircraft aquistion from France, rather deals for avionics for JF-17 and system for the Al-Khalid tank, probably for the Saudi purchase.

6. 4 ships are also on the table, not sure what class, but they will be from storage and will be upgraded.

The Ereiye is still in Pakistan, we are not doing x-mas shopping here, platforms like these are tailored after the customer specs out the plane according to their needs. Grifo deal is one example where it took close to two years.

Shais

any source toconfirm this?

Guys

its hilarious that youare even discussing the possibility of trnasfering technology from one country to another. Israel’s Lavi was based on F-16s also. Every vountry does that, Italian Aspide system was an american copy which Chinese later on ended up copying themselves, I believe its PL-10 AAM. Mig-21 was copied to F-7, so was Mig-17 and Mig-19. If that was the case then russia shouldnt sell Kilos and Sovermany to China, since they might copy or pass down the design to lets say US or France etc.

I am sure PAF provided them to study it for adcance fabrication, structural studies and even avionics, every country does that. US is providing Pakistan arms because of current stratetic needs and partnership. Pakistan also handed over the fallen cruise missiles to China according to some sources when clinton attacked Osama’s bases in Afhanistan.

Did that transfer stopped US from providing advance weaponary to Pakistan, I don’t think so.