He lashed out at the Pentagon! “Who are you kidding for the F-16?”

Because of the conflict between India and Pakistan, the USA’s involvement in Pakistan F-16 sHe expressed his fear of the shooting. on the subject India Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar made many posts against the USA on his social media account. Recently, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) visited Pakistan. F-16 for sale, proposal “Thanks to its robust air-to-ground capability Pakistan’s It has greatly improved its ability to support counter-terrorism operations.” This statement was the last move that triggered India.

“WHO DO YOU TAKE FOR THE F-16?”

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar earlier this month There was a strong backlash from the United States, which decided to send its program of supporting the F-16 fighter jet fleet to Pakistan to meet ‘current and future counter-terrorism threats’. Not interested in selling the F-16 Minister S. Jaishankar, “You can’t fool anyone by saying that.” said.

In the articles in the Indian media, on the US supply of F-16s to Pakistan, “When someone says I’m doing this because it has counter-terrorism content, and so when you talk about an aircraft like an F-16 capability that everybody knows, you know where it is used.” information was included.

JOURNEY OF F-16 WARRANTIES TO PAKISTAN

The US first discussed the supply of F-16s to Pakistan in the early 1980s. President Ronald Reagan used his executive power to agree to the sale of F-16s in exchange for Pakistan’s aid to the United States in Afghanistan, despite opposition from Congress. Pakistani F-16s shot down at least 10 Afghan and Soviet jets, helicopters and transport aircraft. However, with the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in 1989, the US confidence in Pakistan rapidly declined. Pakistan’s undeclared nuclear weapons program has resulted in the cancellation of the supply of 30 F-16s, for which Pakistan has already paid $658 million.

The terrorist attacks of September 11 refocused US interests in the region and made Pakistan a central conduit in Afghanistan’s war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The Bush administration has agreed to release the previously blocked F-16s to Pakistan and to sell Pakistan about $3 billion worth of new F-16 Block-50/52 aircraft.

Despite significant strategic rapprochement between the U.S. and India late in the Indo-Pacific via QUAD, the Biden administration’s announcement at this stage to approve a $450 million F-16 squadron maintenance program for Pakistan gives confusing signals. The US government, led by President Joe Biden, has decided to overturn his predecessor Donald Trump’s decision to suspend military aid to Pakistan instead of providing safe havens for the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

STATEMENT FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN

US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at the daily press conference, in response to Secretary of State S Jaishankar’s statement; “We look at both as partners because in many cases we have common values. In many cases we have common interests. And our relationship with India is standing on its own. Our relationship with Pakistan is also standing on its own.”

Continuing support of the US government’s F-16 fleet aircraft maintenance program to Pakistan includes support for modifications of aircraft, engines, hardware and software, as well as repair and return of classified jets and engine spares. The Pentagon also said the proposed sale would “maintain the nation’s F-16 fleet and greatly enhance Pakistan’s ability to support counter-terrorism operations, thanks to its strong air-to-ground capability.”

Star Newspaper