This is all Pakistan getting
Source :- Written Statement of Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa, USN Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia 16 September 2008
Written Statement of
Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa, USN
Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency
Before the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
16 September 2008
Introduction
Mr. Chairman, ranking member, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today
to discuss the Pakistan F-16 program. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency is the Department of Defense Agency responsible for U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs. Pakistan is one of the many countries that the U.S. supports, and the largest FMS program that Pakistan has with the U.S. is the F-16 program. The Lockheed Martin Corporation produced F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multi-role jet fighter aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight fighter, it has evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. This aircraft serves as an air superiority fighter with air-to-air, air-to-ground, and close air support missions. The F-16s versatility has proven a success on the export market, having been selected to serve in the air forces of more than 25 nations.
1
Program Specifics
Pakistan presently operates forty-six F-16A/B aircraft. Thirty-two of these aircraft remain from the original forty aircraft that Pakistan bought in the 1980s. Since 2005, the USAF has transferred fourteen Excess Defense Article (EDA) F-16A/B aircraft to Pakistan.
The current Pakistan F-16 program is composed of three Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs).
The first LOA providing for the production of eighteen F-16C/D Block 52 aircraft is underway: four aircraft will be ready in June 2010; four aircraft in August 2010; five aircraft in October 2010; four aircraft in Dec 2010; and, one aircraft in December 2011. It is important to note that none of the aircraft will be delivered to Pakistan until the Administration ensures that Pakistan is in compliance with the LOA security notes, and the Administration has so advised Congress.
The second LOA provides for munitions and includes: five hundred AIM-120C-5 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); seven hundred and fifty Mark-84 2000 lb General Purpose bombs; seven hundred BLU-109 2000 lb Penetrator bombs; five hundred Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) tail kits; sixteen hundred Enhanced Guided Bomb Unit (EGBU) kits; and assorted bomb fuzes and support equipment. These weapons will be available for delivery to Pakistan beginning in June 2010. However, I would like to emphasize that none of these weapons will be delivered until Pakistan complies with the LOA security notes and the Administration reports compliance to Congress.
The third LOA provides for the Mid-Life Update (MLU) of their current fleet of forty-six aircraft: four of these aircraft are in Fort Worth undergoing Trial Verification Installation, which is part of the MLU program. Under the MLU LOA,
Pakistan is procuring Falcon STAR structural upgrade kits for the thirty-two original F-16A/B aircraft and thirty-five MLU avionics upgrade kits for the current fleet (including three of the recently transferred EDA aircraft). There is an option on the contract to procure eleven additional MLU avionics upgrade kits for the remaining eleven aircraft. Pakistan has not yet exercised this option, but plans to do so at a future date.
The
Falcon STAR structural upgrade is very similar to that provided to other F-16A/B customers. Falcon STAR replaces critical structural components in the
F-16 required to return the A/B airframe to a structural life of 8,000 spectrum hours. Falcon STAR is required to keep the original thirty-two PAF F-16A/Bs air worthy.
The Pakistan MLU avionics upgrade kits are being designed to provide the Pakistan Block 15A/B aircraft with many of the same capabilities as the new Block 52 F-16s that the PAF is procuring. The MLU kit replaces most of the 1980s avionics in the Block 15s with newer, advanced avionics systems from the Block 52 F-16s. The MLU upgrade kits will include:
APG-68(V)9 radar;
Embedded GPS/INS (EGI);
Link-16 data link; APX-113 Advanced Identify Friend or Foe (AIFF); Color Cockpit with Color Moving Map; ALQ-211(V)9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS) Pod; Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) Cockpit and External Lighting; Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod; Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS); Reconnaissance Pod capability; improved avionics systems; JDAM capability; EGBU capability; AIM-120 AMRAAM capability; and AGM-84 Harpoon capability. While many of the avionics systems and capabilities are common with the new Block 52s and the MLU, some significant differences remain between the MLU F-16 Block 15s and the new PAF Block 52s:
there are no improvements to the Block 15s mission range and loiter time; there are no engine improvements; and, there are no improvements to payload capacity. Overall, the MLU program will extend the service life of Pakistans original F-16 aircraft and very significantly increase the capability of the Pakistan Air Force to conduct Close Air Support and night precision attack missions. I would like to highlight that in parallel with the significant improvement in weapon accuracy gained by
precision guided munitions like JDAM, there is the potential to dramatically reduce collateral damage and civilian casualties.
Regarding program status, the first four MLU aircraft are undergoing work in Fort Worth, Texas now. The USAF schedule for delivery of these aircraft is December 2011. The delivery dates for the remaining aircraft are being refined due to the recent stop work.
Conclusion
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important program with you. I look forward to answering any questions that you may have.
