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Tusas sign contract to modernise Pakistani F-16s

June 29, 2009 (by Asif Shamim) - Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI), has signed a deal with Pakistan's Defence Production Ministry this Monday to modernise 42 of the countries F-16 aircraft.

In a statement, Tusas said the project for the modernisation of F-16s will cost around $75 million and will begin at its Turkish facilities in October 2010 lasting 46 months.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), was signed between TAI and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during IDEAS Defense Exhibition in September 2006 in Karachi, Pakistan.

TAI was among several European competitors which bid for the work. At the end of an evaluation period, Pakistani authorities selected The Turkish company back in July 2008.

Following the negotiations, which started in 2009, the contract was signed between TAI and Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production on June 29, 2009 at a ceremony held in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

In 2006, as a result of an similar bidding process, TAI, signed an agreement with the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) to modernise the countries F-16s. Work was completed successfully with the delivery of the last aircraft in April 2009.