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Exactly. I'm sure if the doors were open to Pakistan, it would've gone after the Dutch, Norwegian, Belgian, etc F-16s as well as any Block-25s and Block-32s sitting in Arizona. In fact, when Bush lifted the F-16 ban back in 2003, the general expectation was that the PAF would swell its F-16 fleet with used airframes just as it had with the Mirage III/5s. I mean, it'd just make sense...

...and if the PAF isn't doing it, then there's an outside blocker.
Not for the lack of trying, PAF's attempts were rebuffed.
 
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Exactly. I'm sure if the doors were open to Pakistan, it would've gone after the Dutch, Norwegian, Belgian, etc F-16s as well as any Block-25s and Block-32s sitting in Arizona. In fact, when Bush lifted the F-16 ban back in 2003, the general expectation was that the PAF would swell its F-16 fleet with used airframes just as it had with the Mirage III/5s. I mean, it'd just make sense...

...and if the PAF isn't doing it, then there's an outside blocker.

My impression is that the PAF wanted to bring the fleet to minimum 110 (though I think it may have been revised to 150). 110 was the quantity of A-8 aircraft that the PAF had wanted to procure during ZAB era, and the demand then switched over to F-16s during the Soviet-Afghan War. If I am remembering correctly, Peacegate 1, 2, 3, & 4 amounted to 110 F-16s in the end.

Outside blockers have always been there but Pakistan previously had managed to circumvent them during Reagan and GW Bush presidencies. Problem today is Pakistan's inability to sustain the US interest in the Pakistani state, particularly the security apparatus.
 
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Not for the lack of trying, PAF's attempts were rebuffed.

And yet - the "neutrals" always bend over at the drop of a hat - the perversion of this relationship is simply not understandable ..
 
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My impression is that the PAF wanted to bring the fleet to minimum 110 (though I think it may have been revised to 150). 110 was the quantity of A-8 aircraft that the PAF had wanted to procure during ZAB era, and the demand then switched over to F-16s during the Soviet-Afghan War. If I am remembering correctly, Peacegate 1, 2, 3, & 4 amounted to 110 F-16s in the end.

Outside blockers have always been there but Pakistan previously had managed to circumvent them during Reagan and GW Bush presidencies. Problem today is Pakistan's inability to sustain the US interest in the Pakistani state, particularly the security apparatus.
Back in 1998 or 1999, Flight International reported that the PAF wanted to get another 50 F-16s on top of the Peace Gate III/IV order. This report was part of a Flight International interview with then PAF CAS, ACM Qureishi. So, it was probably true.

IMO, had things gone the way the PAF had intended, the PAF would've been one of the world's biggest F-16 operators -- i.e., at least 150 aircraft by the mid-2000s.

Remember, in the 1980s and 1990s, there wasn't a fighter deal better anywhere on the market than the F-16. When it came to the cost, capability, support base, etc, the F-16 was at the top. So, for the PAF, it made total sense to work the F-16 into its mainstay multirole fighter. In other words, the F-16 was supposed to make up the majority of the PAF fleet.

In fact, when you read into the PAF history from the late 1970s and early 1980s, you'd see two distinct requirements:

1. a mainstay multirole fighter
2. a strike/attack fighter

In the late 1970s, the PAF kicked off the 'attack fighter' requirement by asking for 110 A-7s from the U.S. This got canned due to the U.S. not wanting to inadvertently give us a delivery capability for nukes. Then in the 1980s, the PAF switched gears to fill the multirole fighter requirement, and it asked for the F-16 or F-18L. But after it got the F-16, it re-visited the attack fighter requirement and, in turn, checked out the Jaguar (but couldn't afford it, so we went with the Q-5).

This is just my opinion, but if the PAF had completed its F-16 program according to plan, then it would've sought the Tornado. It was a strike-optimized system similar to the A-7, but more modern. I mean, the pairing of 150+ F-16s and 80 Tornados (a few new, but the bulk second-hand) would've been 👌 That basically would have been our fleet to this day and right until we get an NGFA.
 
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Definately will not be surprised if a few Sqds of used F-16s are in the pipeline, relations with US have improved, COAS will visit DC soon, we got US approval for C-130 transfer recently and currently many European F-16 users are taking on board more and more F-35s (Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium) so will be spares around. My gut feeling is we will try for Dutch/Belgium Vipers as these are close to PAF MLU standard
Hi,

Possibly not---. Those aircraft may have too much salt damage due to flying over the ocean
 
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PAF Relief Ops

Exactly. I'm sure if the doors were open to Pakistan, it would've gone after the Dutch, Norwegian, Belgian, etc F-16s as well as any Block-25s and Block-32s sitting in Arizona. In fact, when Bush lifted the F-16 ban back in 2003, the general expectation was that the PAF would swell its F-16 fleet with used airframes just as it had with the Mirage III/5s. I mean, it'd just make sense...

...and if the PAF isn't doing it, then there's an outside blocker.
The blocker is the US Congress.
 
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It is too hazy to tell. Knowing delivery schedule the last time, PAF may well get 6 more this time as well. If we are getting 36 this will mean 6 lots of 6s.
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Someone posted a picture of 22-111 with previous camo and if it was not a fake picture then what does it mean?
How many are in this upcoming lot of both paint jobs?
 
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