US to boost Pak F-16s fleet

The timing of the action, The Times said, also caught lawmakers off guard, prompting some of them to suspect that the deal was meant to curry favour with Gilani.

US lawmakers have previously limited military aid to Pakistan to counterterrorism and law enforcement activities against al Qaeda and the Taliban. But The Times claimed that Pakistan has rarely used its F-16s in counterterrorism missions.

In a two-page notification to Congress, the State Department said that upgrading the avionics, electronics and radar systems of Pakistan’s older F-16s would ‘increase the survivability of the aircraft in a hostile environment’ and make the ‘F-16s a more valuable counter-terrorism asset that operates safely during day and night operations’.

However, the proposed upgrade of F-16s, which Pakistan prizes more for their contribution to its military rivalry with India than for fighting insurgents along its Afghan border greeted with dismay and anger by US lawmakers who may block the move, The Times said.

The notification said the modernised systems would also increase the accuracy of the F-16s’ support of Pakistani ground troops, lessening the risks of civilian casualties.