Forum: F-16 News

I've been hearing from certain circles that among the many restrictions that come with these wonderful birds is that, we cant use them incase of a conflict with india? ..... we pay for them, so we can use them incase of war against our arch rivals at our own free will. another news was that kill switches have been installed, hence our falcons can be deactivated remotely.

Can anyone help explain this?

Well, my friend, as far as their use against your eastern neighbor is concerned, I am afraid, its true. After all, they are strategic partners of US, much much important then Pakistan. No doubt.

I never heard of kill switches on these vipers.

When I first heard that Pakistan has signed for new vipers, I was very surprised. They had been bitten once earlier, or I must say twice. Both later Peace Gate deals flopped. They could have spent this amount on further development of JF-17 or J-10.

The new vipers will be more a show off. I believe the real strength will be JF-17 and J-10. And its good if they concentrate on development of these two birds.

PAF inducts new F-16 aircraft
By Sumera Khan
June 28, 2010



ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has inducted the first three of 18 new F-16 aircraft delivered to the Pakistani government by the US.

An induction ceremony was held on Sunday at the Shahbaz Air Base near Jacobabad and attended by approximately 300 Pakistani and US officials, including PAF Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman and the US Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz.

“The induction of these advanced F-16s is a historic milestone for US-Pakistan relations. It is both a symbolic and tangible demonstration of our strong partnership,” said US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson. “These aircraft underscore the promise made by the US to support Pakistan to achieve our mutual goals of defeating violent extremists and establishing peace and security.”

US Defence Representative to Pakistan Vice Admiral Michael LeFever said that the aircraft will enable increased coordination between the PAF, the US Air Force and the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) coalition air forces.

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said that these new aircraft will begin a new era of high-tech environment in the PAF. “This technology will not only eliminate our existing limitations of night operations but also enable the PAF to meet its mission more effectively and to defend our country against any internal or external threat,” he said.

The F-16 aircraft boast additional fuel and payload capacity, new and improved sensors and coloured cockpit displays with enhanced pilot interfaces. The next batch is scheduled to arrive in August while all 18 aircraft will be in Pakistan by January 2012. Apart from these new aircraft, the US is working with the PAF to update 45 F-16s from its existing fighter fleet through the US foreign military financing security assistance programme. Once updated, these aircraft will have similar capabilities to the new F-16s and their first batch is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan in early 2012.

During the last three years, US civilian and security assistance to Pakistan has totalled more than $4 billion. Assistance has included support for medical aid, school refurbishment, bridge and well reconstruction, food distribution, agricultural and education projects. Apart from the three new F-16 fighter planes, other US security assistance includes an earlier delivery of 14 more F-16 fighter aircraft, more than 450 vehicles for Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and hundreds of night vision goggles. The US also provided training for more than 370 Pakistani military officers in a wide range of leadership and development programmes covering topics such as counterterrorism, intelligence, logistics, health, flight safety, and military law.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2010.

source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/24245/paf-i ... -aircraft/

First batch of three F-16s lands in Pakistan
Sunday June 27, 2010 (1322 PST)

ISLAMABAD: With top security officials terming it a great breakthrough, the first batch of three latest version F-16 C/D Block-52 high-tech Fighting Falcons landed in Pakistan on Saturday.

“The induction of multi-role F-16 C/D Block-52 will give a great edge and a potent punch to Pakistan Air Force (PAF),” said a top official, who expressed his happiness over the arrival of Lockheed Martin’s F-16s at the PAF Base Shahbaz (Jacobabad).

These US Falcons reached Pakistan under “Peace Drive I” programme, continuing a long tradition of naming F-16 international sales programmes with the word Peace. The programme raises the total number of F-16s ordered by Pakistan to 54. The Pakistan Air Force received its first F-16, in the Block 15 F-16A/B configuration, in 1982. Pakistan has been operating Lockheed Martin aircraft since 1963, when it received C-130B airlifters.

Trained at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, Pakistani pilots brought the fighting Falcons to Pakistan. These pilots were the first to train in the US since 1983, when the last class of Pakistani pilots trained at the Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

Air Marshal Mohammad Hasan, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) and Air Marshal Waseem-ud-Din, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Administration), along with other senior PAF officials, received the aircraft at the base.

Pakistan attaches great significance to its air defence needs, as it had signed a contract with the US government in the year 2005-06 for the acquisition of 18 F-16 C/D Block 52 aircraft.

Under this arrangement, PAF would receive these state-of-the-art aircraft from the US in different batches. The delivery of all 18 aircraft would be completed by the end this year.

The F-16 C/D Block 52 aircraft is a high tech fighter aircraft equipped with sophisticated state-of-the-art avionics suite, latest weapons with night precision attack capability. These aircraft are much superior to the F-16A/Bs already in the inventory of the PAF. In June 2005, Pakistan requested the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 36 F-16C/D block 50/52 aircraft. In June 2006, the Pentagon notified Congress of its intention to approve the sale and Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract for 12 F-16C and six F-16D block 52 aircraft in Dec 2006. The aircraft will be armed with AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles and the Sniper targeting pod.

The new planes purchased by Pakistan, Block 52 versions of the multi-role fighter, are far more advanced than the older A-model versions and will allow pilots to conduct operations at night and greatly enhance their use of precision munitions.

source: http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?229013

F-16s can be used against any adversary: PAF chief
By Iftikhar A. Khan
Monday, 28 Jun, 2010

SHAHBAZ AIR BASE (Jacobabad): The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, has said there is no restriction on the use of newly-acquired F-16 combat aircraft against any adversary.

“Our mission is to maintain peace in the region with honour, but if the primary effort fails we will use all our assets, including these aircraft, to defend our country against any internal or external threats,” he said.

The air chief was talking to reporters at the newly upgraded Shahbaz Air Base on Sunday after a ceremony held to mark the formal induction of the first three of 18 advanced F-16 fighter jets into the PAF fleet.

The aircraft have been purchased from the United States for $1.4 billion. The ceremony was attended by Chief of Staff of US Air Force Gen Norton A. Schwartz, US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson, US Air Forces’ Central Command chief Gen Mike Hostage and US Defence Representative to Pakistan Vice Admiral Michael A. LeFever. Answering a question, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar said the acquisition of the hi-tech falcons would neither spark an arms race nor disturb the balance of power in the region. It would be the other way round, he said, adding that the induction would restore the balance of power as the neighbours already had hi-tech aircraft in their inventory.

Earlier addressing the ceremony, he said the PAF had decided to induct the state-of-the-art aircraft with night precision attack capability in 2006 but the contract became controversial in both the countries from the very beginning, with critics (in the United States) questioning the decision and saying that F-16s would have no role in the fight against terrorism and cynics (at home) also challenged the wisdom of a contract with the US, because of past experience.

He said that Pakistan and the US were allies in the war against terror and trust between the two countries was an essential element required to achieve success in the war. He noted that delivery of the aircraft was the beginning of a process to develop the trust.

“The issue of trust between the two countries would take some time to be established fully, but the ceremony was an important step in that direction,” he said.

He said the new F-16s would provide the PAF all-weather day and night precision attack capability, adding a new dimension to the PAF potential. He said that operationalising capabilities of the new aircraft and mastering their technology was a challenge for the PAF, but expressed the confidence that it would be done in weeks and months.

He said that Shahbaz Airbase had been developed into a modern base capable of handling the most modern fighter aircraft in the world in less than one year. Completion of this task in a record time, he said, reflected the spirit of PAF.

US Air Chief General Norton Schawrtz said the event was symbolic and a tangible demonstration of the US commitment to stand by Pakistan in the long run as an important ally.

“Pakistan’s new F-16s will give PAF pilots and Pakistan’s military an unprecedented advantage against extremist groups who threaten Pakistan and the region by enabling precision targeting in all-weather conditions, during both day and night, while reducing potential for collateral damage,” Gen Schawrtz said.

“The aircraft will also enable increased tactical inter-operability between the PAF, the US Air Force and Isaf coalition air forces – greatly bolstering our ability to jointly communicate, coordinate and work together to achieve common goals while boosting the PAF’s status as a world-class air force.”

US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson said the ceremony was a manifestation of deep and broad strategic partnership between the two countries.

She referred to the useful discussion in a number of areas during the strategic dialogue and said the US was committed to a long-term partnership with an old ally.

She said both the countries were working together to make the region and the world peaceful and secure.

source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... -860-sk-02

PAF to use F-16s as it wishes
Air chief says US imposed no conditions
Monday June 28, 2010 (1343 PST)


ISLAMABAD: Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman on Sunday maintained that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would employ all its assets, including the newly-inducted F-16 C/D Block 52 aircraft, to defend the country against all external and internal threats.
“Our mission is to maintain peace with honour in the region but should this primary effort of maintaining peace fails, the PAF will employ all its assets, including these aircraft, to defend the country against external and internal security threats,” said the air chief while speaking at the handing over ceremony of the first batch of F-16 C/D Block 52 aircraft and later talking to newsmen at the PAF Base Shahbaz (Jacobabad).

US Ambassador Anne W Patterson was also present at the impressive ceremony held at the newly-furbished and the most modern airbase of the country.

Answering a question, the air chief said the acquisition of hi-tech Falcons would neither spark an arms race nor alter the balance of power in the region. He observed that it would rather restore the balance of power as the neighbours already had hi-tech aircraft in their inventory.

To another query, he maintained that there was no restriction on the use of the new Falcons against any specific country.

He was responding to a question on the impression that the modern planes had been given to Pakistan with the condition that these would in no case be used against a particular country. “You have also heard my speech. There is no such restriction,” he maintained.

To another question, the air chief said the induction of 18 such F-16s into the PAF would be completed by December this year.

Observing that Pakistan and the United States were allies in the war against terrorism and extremism, he stressed that trust between the two countries was an essential element required to achieve success. “I had mentioned during the rolling out ceremony of the F-16s in the US that the process of trust building will start when I will see these aircraft flying in Pakistani air space by Pakistani pilots,” he recalled.

The air chief noted that the delivery of the aircraft was the beginning of the process to develop trust. He said the trust between the two countries would take some time to be established fully, but said the ceremony was an important step in that direction. “We should continue to take such steps to further develop the trust between the two countries,” he added.

He said the new F-16 aircraft provide the PAF all-weather precision attack capability day and night. This capability would add a new dimension to the PAF potential. Operationalising the capabilities of these new aircraft and mastering the technology is a challenge for the PAF, he said.

The air chief said the new capabilities of this weapon system would be operationalised and employed in the near future. “This technology will not only eliminate the existing limitations of precision night operations but also enable the PAF to meet its mission to maintain peace with honour in the region,” he said.

He recalled that critics questioned the decision, saying that the F-16s would have no role in the fight against terrorism and cynics challenged the wisdom of a contract with the US, based on the past experience.

But, he praised the dedication and efforts of Pakistani and US officials who helped in accomplishing the task. “It is like a dream comes true,” Rao Qamar said.

US Air Chief Norton A Schwartz said the induction of state-of-the-art F-16s with night vision devices would effectively enhance the PAF’s capability in destroying extremists.

Paying tributes to Pakistani forces and people for fighting against terrorism, he said the US stands by Pakistan in this war. He pointed out that all the eight Pakistani pilots were rigorously trained in the US in combat operations and other techniques and they would further train the new generation of F-16 pilots in Pakistan. He termed the PAF Base Shahbaz in Jacobabad a world-class base.

US Ambassador Anne W Patterson said that it was an important day in the relations between the two countries, which are allies in the war against terrorism. “We have seen the PAF fighting against extremists and making advancements,” she observed.

She said the US government would launch a number of welfare projects for the people of Jacobabad with particular reference to the water supply and waste management.

Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) Air Marshal Muhammad Hasan said the occasion also marked to operationalise the new airbase. “It is seen as a modern airbase in the country and strength of the PAF and the air chief has directed for implementing the same on other air bases of the PAF,” he said.

He pointed out that during the induction of new F-16s, the PAF continued its other heavy commitments like the war against terror.

APP adds from Jacobabad: US Ambassador Anne W Patterson said that America’s offer of a long-term partnership with Pakistan is tangible and “it is our hope that this partnership will deliver our common goals of security and prosperity in the region and throughout the world.”

Pakistanis and Americans are working together to build a better world, “we all aspire to leave as our legacy”, she said.

She said that Pakistan and the United States share a deep and broad partnership, which is growing to encompass nearly every element of government-to-government cooperation.

Under the Strategic Dialogue established by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, she said, the two nations are working together on economic development, trade and energy, healthcare, education, science and technology and agriculture. “Our governments share a vision of partnership today which is unprecedented in the history of our bilateral relationship,” she said.

It both reflects America’s long-term commitment to Pakistan as an important ally and partner and “is a testament to the shared vision of our democratically-elected governments,” she added.

The US ambassador said an important element of Pakistan-US relationship is strong and a growing security partnership, through which the two countries are working to make this region secure, stable and peaceful.

She recalled that four years ago, the United States and the Government of Pakistan had signed a Letter of Agreement for the acquisition of 18 new F-16 aircraft by Pakistan to support this country’s counter-terrorism efforts.

“I am glad to be here today to witness the induction of the first three of these aircraft into the Pakistan Air Force in an event which begins yet another cycle of fulfilment in America’s commitments to Pakistan,” the US envoy said.

The induction of these advanced F-16s is a historic milestone for US-Pakistan relations — “both a symbolic and a tangible demonstration of our strong partnership” and the US intent to stand beside Pakistan over the long-term as an important ally and friend, Patterson said.

“Our commitment does not end with the delivery of these aircraft. The United States will continue to support the Pakistan Air Force through training and munitions procurement, and through updates to the 45 F-16s in the Pakistan Air Force’s existing fleet,” she added.

The US ambassador said that she was impressed by the skills of Pakistani pilots as they have prepared to fly the F-16 aircraft in defence of Pakistan. “But Americans know that extraordinarily powerful weapons alone cannot strengthen this or any other nation. The strength of our economies and our institutions and our people also are key elements of national power.”

source: http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?229023