Lockheed Martin has secured a $42.3 million contract to provide 10 upgrade kits for Pakistan’s F-16A/B aircraft, under the Foreign Military Sales programme.
Despite troubled relations with Washington after the American special forces’ 2 May raid into Pakistan to kill Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, the Pentagon continues to support the South Asian country’s air force.
Pakistan air force Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 52
© Pakistan air force
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The upgrade kit deal follows a late July announcement that specialist communications producer L-3 Communications had been awarded a contract to build two F-16C Block 52 aircrew training devices for the Pakistan air force.
In late May, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that Pakistan had requested a FMS deal to acquire spare parts for a number of its aircraft, including the Lockheed C-130 transport, F-16 fighter and Cessna T-37 trainer.
Earlier this year the Pakistani air force inducted 17 new F-16 Block 52+ fighters (pictured, above) into 5 Sqn – part of an 18-aircraft deal signed in 2006.
Pakistan’s 34 F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft are also undergoing mid-life upgrades.
August 2011
Source: Flight Global