[Righty_McRight]

"Their (India's) program of buying second-rate Russian planes and inferior local fighters only makes sense if the neighbors don't have anything threatening," Aboulafia said. "If Pakistan gets F-16s, India has to get serious about its Air Force."

Sukhoi-30mki is gonna track down Aboulafia. haha

[Righty_McRight]

PING

[Dr. Marten]

Why in the hell does the US sell arms to other countries? Are we not just feeding the wolf?

[Moorings]

Sukhoi-30mki is gonna track down Aboulafia. LOL.

[Moorings]

The Pakistan Times, quoting "diplomatic sources," reported from Islamabad on Friday that Rice was expected to "make an important announcement" there expressing a U.S. "willingness to resume the supply of F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan."

Great, the Pakis are getting new toys. I bet they have already begun planning their next great military adventure against India.

They are going to have their a$$ handed back to them in a sling all over again.

[Righty_McRight]

Pakistan acquiring new fighter jets By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL Published March 9, 2005 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan is set to induct by June next year the first squadron of supersonic fighter planes it made jointly with China, officials said.

Pakistan began to work on the state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder along with China in the early 1990s, when the United States banned arms supplies to Islamabad following a difference over its nuclear program.

Pakistani defense officials told United Press International the first batch of six planes would be handed over to the Pakistan Air Force by June 2006.

Eventually, the air force will have 150 F-17 jet fighters, the officials said, but did not elaborate how long it would take to acquire all the planes.

The first test flight of the supersonic jet was successfully conducted in September 2003 in China. The prototype is expected to be finished within a couple of months.

The planes have been equipped with latest avionics, which are also developed jointly by China and Pakistan. China Air Force is likely to induct more than 500 JF-17 fighter planes in the future.



How good is this plane?

[dog breath]

This is a serious upgrade for Pakistan's air force. I guess this is part of the reward for playing ball with the Bush administration.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Abou Lafia is parroting the same old lines you hear from out of work ossified coldwar "analysts".Just because Pakistan get's the F-16, it won't make a big difference.For one,they needn't get the AMRAAM,PGMs,the new AESA radars or AEW aircraft.That will put their fleet of F-16s pretty much in the same league as their existing fleet of 30 odd F-16 Blk 20s.Just because a nation buys American stuff doesn't make the whole range of subsystems available for it.Especially if you are Pakistan,where the number sought will be low,who will also need assistance from American military aid & which is politically unstable.The number mentioned here is only 18-what does LM stand to gain from it???


Poor Abou Lafia seems to forget that as of now India's Su-30s,Mirage-2000s & Mig-29s are all far better than Pakistan's current fleet of F-16s.If India's Mig-29s were so inferior,why did Pakistani F-16s run away at the first squeak of the plane arming it's AA-10 missiles??Heck,even India's upgraded Mig-21s carry the AA-11 & AA-12 missiles,far better than the old Aim-9s & Aim-7 Sparrows of the PAF.

Coming to the IAF itself,if India does buy the F-16,it will probably be the biggest single largest deal ever(after Iran's aborted deal of the late 70s).& Given the fact that the number is huge,India will probably have greater flexibility on choosing or getting subsystems from Uncle Sam,including possible subcontracts to Israeli or British firms.Besides buying the Mig-29M2,equipped with Israeli or European avionics wouldn't be such a bad idea.The French Mirage-2005 is still the frontrunner, with French companies showing lots of flexibility on transfer of technology & license manufacturing,along with work on other army & navy projects.

PS-Abou Lafia's nationality is either Pakistani or Arab-ENUF SAID!!!

[sukhoi-30mki]

Ive heard "E-rumours" that the Indian airforce had changed or wants to change the parameters of this current fighter programme to consider only 2-engined jets.I don't know how true that was,but if there is any basis in it,the Gripen & F-16 & Mirage-2005 will drop out,while the French Rafale,along with the the multi-nation Eurofighter will hop in.The Brits have already offered the EF-2000 to India.

[HarleyLady27]

Didn't we give Iraq arms??? Just to back in and take them back??? What is the 'meaning' for this??????? Stupid, Stupid, Stupid

[Saberwielder]

Sigh!

The buzz is that Musharraf has agreed to give up Pakistani persons involved in the nuke trade with Iran, so that the US has first hand material evidence of Iranian perfidy. This would prevent the Euroweasels from expressing doubt on our intel sources tainted by the Iraq WMD fiasco. The F-16s are a reward for that. Musharraf will also be squeezed for Pakistani bases and airstrips near the Iranian border.

The offer to India is a smokescreen because India does not want the F-16s but rather the Patriot PAC-3s, P-3C and E-2C Hawkeye 2000s. But this way, the US can say - hey we offered it to India too and they chose not to take the F-16s.

I feel that this is yet another case of sacrificing the long-term interests with Pakistan in favor of expediency.

BTW, this Aboulafia character needs to enter the 21st century. The Indians right now have the airpower to decimate the Pakistani air force in a week. If anything, the F-16 sale might force them to up the ante and get more Su-30s and maybe Rafales!