Pakistan will be sold AIM-120C/D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) by the United States defence group Raytheon following a modification in the firm’s contract that included the country in the list of buyers, it emerged on Tuesday.
Pakistan will receive more than 300km range advanced AIM-120D AMRAAM missiles from the United States. The latest AIM-120D variant air-to-air missile will put Indian Air Air Force’s plane and pilots in grave dangers. This development follows an improvement in relations between the two nations.
The US Department of War has listed Pakistan as a buyer for these missiles. This could potentially upgrade the Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets. The contract is expected to be completed by May 2030.
The US missiles are equipped on F-16 Falcons flown by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
A September 30 press release on the contracts issued by the US Department of War for the US Air Force said Raytheon was awarded a $41.6 million firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract for the enhanced C8 and D3 AMRAAM variants and their production.
It added that the modification brought the total cumulative face value of the contract to $2.5 billion.
“Work will be performed at Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by May 30, 2030. This contract involves foreign military sales to United Kingdom, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Isreal, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey,” the contract said.
The May 7 contract for the AMRAAM deal had not included Pakistan as among the list of buyers for the missile.
The same missiles were reportedly used in February 2019, when the PAF conducted Operation Swift Retort and shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) jets intruding into Pakistani airspace over Kashmir.
Pakistan had bought 700 AMRAAM in January 2007 in what was the largest international order for the weapon at the time.
The development comes amid improving ties between Pakistan and the US. Of late, it seems that Islamabad and Washington are in lockstep. The positive signals, which began emanating soon after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, seem to be turning into full-blown bonhomie with Pakistan entering a new phase in its economic and strategic partnership with the US.
From acknowledging Pakistan’s counterterror cooperation in the arrest of an IS-Khorasan operative to claiming credit for stopping a nuclear war in South Asia, the country has perhaps featured more in this US president’s day-to-day media interactions than any past ‘commander-in-chief’.
After securing what seems to be a major discount in tariff negotiations, attracting US investor interest in its oil and mineral reserves and signalling that its currency market is receptive to digital assets and cryptocurrencies, Pakistan seems to be in the driving seat as far as South Asia is concerned.
700 missiles sold to Pakistan
Pakistan is buying 700 air-to-air missiles made by US defence group Raytheon for $284 million, the company said on Monday. Pakistan is purchasing 500 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), the largest international order for this weapon, and 200 short-range AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, Raytheon said in a statement.
Delivery of the AMRAAM arsenal would begin in 2008 and continue through 2011, it said.
Pakistan has signed a letter of offer and acceptance for the 700 missiles, it said.
Excess defence articles supplied to Pakistan
It informed Congress that the State Department had approved this possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan for AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopters and AGM-114R Hellfire II Missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $952 million.
The notification said the government of Pakistan had requested a possible sale of 15 AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopters, 32 T-700 GE 401C Engines (30 installed and 2 spares), 1000 AGM-114 R Hellfire II Missiles in containers, 36 H-1 Technical Refresh Mission computers, 17 AN/AAQ-30 Target Sight Systems, 30 629F-23 Ultra High Frequency/Very High Frequency Communication Systems, 19 H-764 Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation Systems, 32 Helmet Mounted Display/Optimized Top Owl, 17 APX-117A Identification Friend or Foe, 17 AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems, 17 AN/ALE-47 Counter-measure Dispenser Sets, 18
AN/APR-39C(V)2 Radar Warning Receivers, 15 Joint Mission Planning Systems, and 17 M197 20mm Gun Systems.
F-16 Upgrade Packages
In 2015, the United States handed over 14 F-16 combat aircraft, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armoured personnel carriers to Pakistan from the weapons it is leaving behind in the region, reports the Congressional Research Service.
The agency, which prepares internal reports for the US Congress, reported that American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq earlier used the weapons supplied to Pakistan.
Technically, these weapons are classified as “Excessive Defence Articles”, i.e. equipment used by the US forces, which can be supplied to allied nations at withdrawal instead of shipping them back to the United States.
The weapons include F-16 armaments including 500 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles; 1,450 2,000-pound bombs; 500 JDAM Tail Kits for gravity bombs; and 1,600 Enhanced Paveway laser-guided kits. All this has cost Pakistan $629 million.
Pakistan has also paid $298 million for 100 harpoon anti-ship missiles, 500 sidewinder air-to-air missiles ($95 million); and seven Phalanx Close-In Weapons System naval guns ($80 million).
Under Coalition Support Funds (in the Pentagon budget), Pakistan received 26 Bell 412EP utility helicopters, along with related parts and maintenance, valued at $235 million.
Pakistan is also receiving military equipment with a mix of its national funds and America’s foreign military funding.
These include 60 Mid-Life Update kits for F-16A/B combat aircraft (valued at $891 million, with $477 million of this in FMF).
Pakistan has purchased 45 such kits, with all upgrades completed to date. This include 115 M-109 self-propelled howitzers ($87 million, with$53 million in FMF).
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