Washington: The Bush Administration said on Monday that it planned to sell Pakistan up to 36 advanced F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corporation in a weapons package that could be worth more than $5 billion.
The proposed sale of 18 new Fighting Falcon fighters with an option for 18 more demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a long-term relationship with Pakistan, White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters.
The State Department said it was part of a drive to broaden a strategic partnership with Pakistan and advance US interests in South Asia.
The new aircraft would be used for close air support in the US-declared global war on terrorism, among other things, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a notice to Congress.
The agency, responsible for government-to-government arms sales, said the fighters would be worth $3 billion if all options were exercised.
"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping an ally meet its legitimate defense requirements," the Pentagon said in the notice.
The proposed sale includes upgrades for Pakistan's fleet of 34 earlier model F-16s and a support package for up to 26 refurbished F-16s that Pakistan eventually may buy, Snow said. These 60 “mid-life upgrade” kits, which would improve on-board radar and make it possible to carry more precision-guided weapons—could be worth as much as $1.3 billion, the Pentagon told Congress in one of four related notices dated June 28 and made public on Monday.
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