Posted on 08/31/2005 1:28:20 PM PDT by CarrotAndStick
The United States has provided eight long-range maritime patrol aircraft free-of-cost to Pakistan Navy, giving a major boost to its ability to carry out long distance surveillance as well as fire Harpoon missiles at enemy targets.
"The P-3C Orion aircraft are being provided free-of-cost by the US Navy and the expenses for modification of aircraft avionics systems will be met mostly from the US military aid," a Pakistan Navy statement said in Islamabad on Wednesday.
P-3C Orion is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft with an endurance of about 18 hours and can carry Harpoon missiles.
With the induction of 8 P-3Cs, the existing fleet of PN-P-3Cs will grow up to 10.
Two P-3Cs already with Pakistan Navy are presently undergoing overhaul in Pakistan with US assistance and are expected to be operational by the end of this year.
"The title of these aircraft has been shifted to PN with the signing of the transfer documents by the representatives of US and Pakistani navies, making the aircraft a property of the government of Pakistan," the statement said.
Appreciating the US assistance, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah has termed the acquisition of the aircraft as a significant achievement, the statement said.
He expressed confidence that the induction of these aircraft would augment the Pakistani navy's capability to actively monitor its areas of interest at sea and add a new dimension to the offensive punch of its fleet.
Well since we kept their money and never delivered the F-16"s they bought 15 years ago(or so) I guess we owed them something.
I hear we traded them for camels.
I'm disgusted.
Ain't NO-THING Free!
Wonderful, now they can take out our carriers. That was real stupid. Nuclear tipped harpoons are not our friends.
Dang, I think the State department is on the other side.
Hmmmm.... nuclear tipped Harpoon?
Harpoons "only" have a 500 lb. warhead.
Nukes weigh a lot less than that.
No, that money was paid back (in wheat or some other commodity).
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