ISLAMABAD - Thelast fleet of three sophisticated F-16 fighter jets arrived in Pakistan on Monday following the completion of $ 2.7 billion programme that oversaw the provisions of 18 aircrafts equipped with Night Precision Attack capability tothe Pakistan Air Force (PAF) by the US Defence Department. The three F-16 aircrafts received at the Shahbaz Airbase in Jacobabad were last in the 18 jets of Block 52 series Pakistan had subscribed to, following the payment of $ 1.4 billion for purchasing and subsequent $ 1.3 billion for sustaining technical costs (including up-gradation and maintenance).With modalities finalised in late 2009, the first fleet carrying three F-16 jets first landed in Pakistan in June 2010 at the Shahbaz Airbase. The completion of handing over all the aircraft to the PAF was scheduled by last month. However, slight delay resulted in speculations that the US had abandoned the deal following a row with Pakistan on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) supplies blockade in the aftermath of November 26 attack on Pakistan's military posts in the Mohmand Agency. The US had denied the reports after an announcement from the US Ambassador Cameron Munter last month suggesting that the remaining F-16 jets would be handed over by end January.Last year, the US had outsourced Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, a renowned fighter aircraft manufacturing company, for provisiontechnical assistance to the PAF vis-à-vis F-16 Block 52 jets. The $ 42 million programme envisaged proving maintenance and in-built up-gradation hardware for the F-16 jets under Aircraft Enhanced Modernisation Programme (AEMP).    According to official sources, the lack of night vision technology in the PAF and Pakistan Army's Aviation fleet greatly compromised their capability to launch offensive and retaliation in a dampen airspace. This, in technical terms, implied that target identification in the areas confronting low vision patches, (air) beds or spaces caused by complete or partial darkness was constrained by the light factor.Equipped with Night Precision Attack technology, the exchange of new F-16 jets has come following an official understanding between Pakistan and the US that the PAF would operationally utilise these jets against the militant sanctuaries, particularly in the north- western tribal region.Of the three F-16 aircrafts arriving on Monday, the two F-16 Block 15 aircraft were earlier sent to the US for Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) and have been delivered back to PAF, Pakistan Air Force said."The F-16 C/D Block 52 aircraft is a high tech fighter aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art avionics suite and latest weapons with Night Precision Attack capability," an official statement said. The additional features of the aforesaid jet planes include enhanced fuel carrying capacity, sophisticated sound detection features and cost effective efficiency.Former US President George W Bush had turned down the proposal to outsource Lockheed Martin for providing 18 F-16 jets to Pakistan against the payment of $ 500 million. The move was revived by Obama administration in 2009.