The United States Department of State has approved a long overdue military deal with Pakistan, involving equipment for the Pakistan F-16 aircraft at $450 million.
Pakistan has approached the US State Department on numerous occasions to request this support, but the transfer was denied for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is that it could be used for false military purposes.
But now, the US Department of State has approved the sale of F-16 fighter aircraft maintenance and other associated equipment to Pakistan after several requests over the years and assurances from Pakistan’s side.
According to a press statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Pakistani government is planning to sell F-16 planes and related equipment for around $450 million. The DSCA has approved this deal, which will mostly include F-16 jets.
Lockheed Martin Corp., a manufacturer of American aerospace equipment since 1995, will serve as the contractor for this commerce between Pakistan and the United States.
The agreement between the US and Pakistan simply calls for the US and Lockheed to give Pakistan technical and logistical assistance in exchange for Pakistan supplying a fleet of F-16s; new weapons, capabilities, or ammunition are not included.
It is clear that America is only interested in making money from this purchase and does not care if Pakistan later utilizes this technology in a conflict to shed American blood.
By allowing Pakistan to continue working in conjunction with the US and with other partners to eradicate terrorism from the area and eventually the entire globe, the sale and trading of the fleet actually served to support American foreign policy and national security goals, according to the DSCA.
The DSCA expressed confidence in a press release that this deal will not lead to a power imbalance in the area and that it will only strengthen Pakistan’s national security goals while also enhancing US-Pak ties.
They will also have simple air-to-ground access to isolated places, which would greatly aid Pakistani soldiers in their war against local terrorist groups.
