Hi,
After all the contract signing and deals being done---there is no guarantee that the aircraft will be delivered to Pakistan.
Because they can be held back on the whim of any congressman or senator---.
That is true, but we also need to take the chance of getting equipment our pilots are already trained on, and that we have built the requisite infrastructure to accommodate. Should we not be able to acquire the F-16 Block 70 and/or used F-16s and the upgrade kits to bring them to a similar standard, we need to show our money can be spent on Chinese J-10CE aircraft.
Furthermore, Pakistan will have to demonstrate that it will seek to strategically align more so with the interests of those that align with Pakistan. The episode of the closure of the GLOCs could be raised as Pakistan just not participating in the strategic needs of others if others don't respect the strategic needs of Pakistan.
Some Senators and Congresspersons may want to prevent introduction of advanced technology into the region, but 18-36 F-16 Block 70 with AESA radars should not be seen as changing the strategic balance when Indian is to acquire 36 AESA equipped Rafales this year. Furthermore the Indians are buying hundreds and hundreds of air to air missiles, which should be seen as destabilizing.
The "February Skirmish", of all things, shows Pakistan has demonstrated it showed restraint, used the F-16s in a limited manner, and de-escalated the situation at the first possible instance. The F-16s maintained a minimum threshold, that gave options to the Pakistani military, so that the conflict, need not escalate due to Indian miscalculations. It bought the world time to let saner heads prevail, as intended when the were sold earlier this decade. This is the basis upon which the US should sell the F-16 Block 70 to Pakistan alongside the Aim-120C7 and Aim-9X-II. These are the talking points the senators and congresspersons need to be told.
Our goal should be getting a decent number of F-16 Block 70/72s; 18,24, or 36 to form a qualitative spearhead per F-16 Squadron of 2,3, or 4 planes; but the missiles that go along with them need to be as modern as possible; Aim-120C7 and Aim-9X-II, as well as the option to get a large number of used F-16s (along with MLU Kits) to replace the oldest Mirages in our Fleet. 4 Aesa Equipped F-16s per squadron should be enough to guide the rest of the fleet, with the right tactics, and save us enough money to not put all our eggs in one basket.
It's more bull than reality he is president and sherewed businessman not a university professor America is doing very good under his term Economically and he is also getting out from useless conflicts which draining US Tax payer Dollars and US lives simple don't think he is fool.
He also wants to be seen as winning "Bigly", hence the North Korean forays. He needs a big foreign policy victory that he can tout before the 2020 elections. Afghanistan would be Huuuge.
Helping Pakistan can help him. That too with taxpayer money to US companies. A few billion spend on weapons to a "rediscovered Ally and partner" versus tens of billions a year into a quagmire should be a no-brainer. Especially if it comes with help in ensuring the peace of the region. It can be the basis for a narrative that shows him as a peace maker and deal broker, and a solid choice for those that he may have lost over years, as we close in on 2020.
