Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan of Pakistan has expressed his serious concerns over the present scenario of Pakistan aircraft amidst growing tensions with neighbouring India. He reportedly received inputs from his officers in command Sohail Ahmed and Qamar Suleman that over 62% of aircraft are unfit to be engaged in war.
Pakistan needs urgent fund to catch up with evolving Indian Air Force. As India is about to procure ultra-modern fighter jets such as Rafale, Pak-Fa T50, HAL’s LCA etc. under a program of $150 billion to modernise Indian Air Force in upcoming years, Pakistan is looking forward to getting repaired its 30yr old fighter jets to counter India.
Pakistan’s best and most reliable jet is American F16. Pakistan has, at the moment, a fleet of 74 F16s which it procured from the USA in 1982 (37 years ago). Several parts of as many as 50 F16 jets are not functioning at all. As per Dawn report, Pakistan has given a tender to Turkey to repair them at a cost of $75 million.
It is notable that India’s most reliable jet is Su-30 MKI and it has a fleet of 272 SU-30 jets which India bought from Russia in 2004. Recently, Pakistan reached out to the USA for the procurement of 8 second-hand F16s to use them against terrorists.
The deal was almost signed under which Pakistan had to pay only 30% of total $700 million and 70% was to be paid by America itself. However, the Modi government strongly objected to this, as a result, America refused to grant the jets asking to pay all amount.
Needless to say, most of Pakistan’s defence budget was funded by America until recently. As per Fox News report, the USA has given $28.7 billion as military and economic aid in the last 16 years. Pakistan received $4.6 billion in a single year of 2010 alone from the USA. After India’s objection, most of the aid to the notorious country was blocked by the US Congress last year.
