Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman of Pakistan Air Force has
expressed his serious concerns over the present scenario of Pakistan fighter
jets amidst growing tensions between with neighbouring. He reportedly received
inputs from his officers in command Sohail Ahmed and Qamar Suleman that over
62% of aircrafts are unfit to be engaged in war. Pakistan needs urgent fund to
catch up with growing Indian Air Force.
As India is about to procure ultra-modern fighter jets such
as Rafale, Pak-Fa T50, HAL AMCA etc. under a program of $150 billion to
modernise Indian Air Force in upcoming years, Pakistan is looking forward to
getting its 30yr old fighter jets repaired to counter India. Pakistan’s best
and most reliable jet is American F16. At the moment, Pakistan has a fleet of 74
F16s which it procured from the USA in 1982 (34 years ago). Several parts of as
many as 50 F16 jets are not functioning at all; therefore, 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 is still
funded by America. As per Fox News report the USA has given $28.7 billion as
military and economic aid in last 14 years. Pakistan received $4.6 billion in a
single year of 2010 alone from the USA. After India’s objection, most of aid to
the notorious country was blocked by the US congress this year.
