NEWS:
As per a report in the media, Pakistan seems to have failed to seal the $700-million deal for the purchase of eight F-16 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corporation of the US following a row between the two countries over their financing. The Pakistani Government was required to provide the letter of acceptance for purchase of the eight F-16 fighter jets by May 24, 2016; but Dawn newspaper reported that the document was not issued leading to expiry of the offer. “Pakistan decided not to fully fund the case with national funds, so the terms of sale have now expired,” a diplomatic source was quoted as saying to the newspaper. However, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani said that “a deadend has not been reached as yet”.

VIEWS:
Following the initiation of a proposal in February this year pertaining to the possible sale of eight F-16 Block 52 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to the Government of Pakistan along with weapons, associated equipment, training and logistics support, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the US delivered the required certification notifying the US Congress of the deal which was estimated to be to the tune of $700 million. Ostensibly, the F-16 fighter jets were to be supplied to Pakistan to fight the terrorists active in the North West Frontier Province.

As expected, India expressed disappointment over US administration’s decision to sell the F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. US Ambassador to India Richard Verma was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs by the Indian Foreign Secretary to convey India’s displeasure at this move by the US Government. The US Ambassador to India was told by the Foreign Secretary that India was not in agreement of the rationale put forth by the US Government that the F-16 fighter jets would be used by the Pakistan Government to combat terrorists.

Quite unexpectedly, some of the senior members of the Congress also expressed their concern over the US Government’s decision to sell front line fighter jets to Pakistan. They were of the view that the aircraft would, in all likelihood, be used against India in the event of a war and not for combating terrorism which was the justification put forward by the US Government for the deal. They pointed out that despite massive financial aid to the tune of $25 billion to Pakistan to combat terrorism since the 9/11 episode, terrorist organisations continue to operate in Pakistan with impunity and have been impinging on American interests especially in Afghanistan.

The cancellation of the F-16 deal ought to be viewed in the context of the evolving geopolitical situation in the region wherein it appears that there is a paradigm shift in favour of India’s security interests. As initially proposed by the US Government, Pakistan was to be sold the eight fighter jets at a subsidised rate of $270 million as against the actual price of $700 million. The difference in the price of $430 million was to be regarded as a part of military aid to Pakistan by the US. However, possibly after vehement objections by the top US lawmakers and hopefully on account of the forward movement in the strategic partnership between India and the US, the Obama Administration decided to cancel military aid and asked the Government of Pakistan to make full payment for the eight F-16 fighter jets.

As per a statement in May this year by Sartaj Aziz, Adviser on Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the nation’s ties with the US had witnessed a downward slide on account of the move by the US Congress to block the supply of the fighter jets to Pakistan as a part of military aid. But this does not mean that the problem for the Indian Air Force has been totally alleviated and there is no room for complacency as Pakistan has other readily available options. Defence Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif had said recently that Pakistan had the option to explore other sources to meet its defence needs. Somewhat distressed at the growing Indo-US strategic ties, in all likelihood, Pakistan will first turn to China to more than make up for what she may have lost by way of the cancelled F-16 fighter jet deal with the US. In collaboration with China, Pakistan is already manufacturing in-house the JF-17 Thunder. Even though this is said to be a third-generation combat aircraft, Pakistan Air Force has plans to induct nearly 300 of these platforms. Given the ever-strengthening ties between China and Pakistan, the former will only be too willing to provide Pakistan Air Force with its latest stealth fighters such as the Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang J-31, the export version of which is known as the FC-31. China may in due course even manufacture these aircraft in Pakistan through its joint venture company already functional. China will leave no stone unturned to empower her ally Pakistan to take on a common adversary India.

Apart from China, another option that Pakistan could explore is the acquisition of the Su-35 combat aircraft from Russia. This, however, would be purely a commercial deal bereft of any political connotation. In the context of these developments, it ought to be obvious that India can no longer continue to dither over the acquisition of modern combat aircraft in the numbers required to arrest the alarming erosion that has already taken place in the combat fleet of the IAF.