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The new batch of F-16 multi-role aircraft that the US proposes to sell Pakistan will be used against India, not Al-Qaeda, many US lawmakers have said while accusing the Bush Administration of "rushing through" the deal.
"This material is not being used against Al-Qaeda. It isn't. The potential is that it would be used in a war against India," Democratic Representative Frank Pallone, a strong supporter of India, said of the jets. The News, quoted Pallone as saying: "We don't need to reward Pakistan for being our friend in the war on terrorism by giving them advanced weapons systems that are not likely to be used in that effort."
Critics of the deal also said the jets were a reward to a country that provides moral support to terror groups fighting India. They have said that the Bush Administration has "glossed over" the non-proliferation aspect of the deal, since Pakistan's record on nuclear proliferation is well known and needs watching. "The $5.1 billion cutting edge arms package the administration is lining up will not only be useless in the war on terrorism or to hunt Osama bin Laden, but it will also come back to haunt both India and the US," said a statement issued by the US-India Political Action Committee, the Indian caucus on the hill.
Lawmakers accused the Bush administration Thursday of rushing a sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.
[..]
Some worry that the sale could compromise sensitive U.S. technology by exposing it to China, which has close military ties with Pakistan.
Critics also say the jets reward a country, Pakistan, that provides moral support to terrorist groups fighting India.
A USAF study reads :
...China received a single F-16 from Pakistan ...
www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil...
The J-10 could have benefited from U.S. technology in two ways. First, the Israeli LAVI was greatly influenced by access to General Dynamics F-16 technology. Israel passed on the knowledge of some of this technology, which may have included avionics, advanced composite materials, and flight control specification,27 to Chengdu. Fly-by-wire technology may have been shared as well. ....J-10 benefited from PLA access to Pakistan's F-16 fighters.
www.globalsecurity.org...
FAS says >>
..a single F-16 provided by Pakistan..
www.fas.org...
Asia Times says the same >> atimes.com...
Wiki's article reads :
In addition, the PLA has attempted to build an indigenous aerospace and military industry with its production of the J-10, which currently is in production. It reportedly contains technology supplied by Israel from its Lavi fighter program as well as technology reverse-engineered from an F-16 reportedly given to the PRC by Pakistan.
link
China has added several features that were directly reverse-engineered from a U.S.-made F-16 Falcon jet fighter provided to Beijing by Pakistan.
The Pakistani F-16, sold to Islamabad during the 1980s, was given to the PLAAF as part of a secret military trade deal between Pakistan and China. In return for the U.S.-made F-16 jet, Pakistan received a deep discount on the purchase of Chinese-made M-11 ballistic missiles.
link
Asia Week says >>
It borrows technology from the America's front-line F-16 fighter, believed to have been acquired via Pakistan
www.asiaweek.com...
Febuary 2005 issue of Kanwa says :
Pakistan loaned a single F-16 to China for technical evaluation,the aircraft give deep impression on pilot and engineers alike
www.centurychina.com...
Another ..
The 1992 sale of the 28 Falcons to Pakistan was canceled during the last days of the Bush Sr. administration because Islamabad had openly purchased weapons technology from China. The sudden appearance of Chinese nuclear-tipped M-11 ballistic missiles brought a swift embargo of U.S. arms sales on Pakistan, including the previously ordered F-16 Falcons.
link
A Pakistani Brigadior that confessed in an interview to Pakistan lending China one of its F-16's in exchange for a discount on M-11 missiles that Pak bought from China.
One Pakistani military officer, reportedly at one-star level, noted on April 18, 2002 : "China has added several features [to the FC-1/JF-17] that were directly reverse-engineered from a US-made F-16 Falcon jet fighter provided to Beijing by Pakistan. The Pakistani F-16, sold to Islamabad during the 1980s, was given to the PLAAF as part of a secret military trade deal between Pakistan and China. In return for the US-made F-16 jet, Pakistan received a deep discount on the purchase of Chinese-made M-11 ballistic missiles. The new Chinese J-10 supersonic fighter is designed to take on and defeat US-built F-16 and F-18 fighters that make up the bulk of American airpower."
link
By 1961 Soviets licensed the manufacture of the MiG-21F or J-7 with the engine to China. However in this period ties between the USSR and the PRC cooled considerably and the Mig-21 license manufacture deal collapsed. The PRC side accused the Soviets of deliberately supplying poor quality designs and equipment. The PRC aviation team had to completely redo the design work for the J-7 and at the same time they had to build their version of the RF-11F300 engine, now called the WP-7 (Wopen-7) on their own. The first J-7 with Chinese reverse engineered components was produced in 1964. It was first tested on January 17th 1966. However the well laid plans by PRC aviation planners to manufacture large numbers of J-7 fighters were frustrated due to the Cultural Revolution.
non-abidance of contractual agreements
David Lari, director general of Israel's Ministry of Defense, acknowledged in an Associated Press interview that "some technology on aircraft" had been sold to China and that some Israeli companies may not have "clean hands".
In the late 1980s, at least 20 engineers from Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) were part of the fighter's design team at Chengdu."
"IAI also helped with windtunnel testing in the early design stage. The Israeli presence has been scaled down in the last three years"
I just happened to come across this forum by chance, but you may be interested to know that I was one of the design engineers working on the Lavi project in 1983 thru 1986. I am not Israeli, I am a British aerospace structural designer, and there were nothing like 1,500 engineers on the project. There were about 500 in total, mostly British, with very few Israelis.
The Israelis mostly headed up groups, but relied heavily on British and American design expertise. Since the Lavi was cancelled some time ago, and most Israelis were made redundant, I cannot see how China would need any input from Israel.
US official defends F-16 deal
WASHINGTON, July 21: Pakistan is likely to get congressional approval for the proposed $5.1 billion arms package, including F-16 aircraft, despite the battering it received at a panel hearing on the deal.
The 18-member House of Representatives International Relations Committee also mauled the Bush administration for failing to give Congress enough time to review the proposal.
But the administration’s strategy, coupled with a strong defence of its decision to sell the aircraft to Pakistan, worked.
US to push F-16 sale to Pakistan despite Indian concerns
Washington - The Bush administration plans to push ahead with the proposed sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan despite Indian concerns over its largest $5.1 billion arms package deal with Islamabad.
‘Our sale is based on what we think are legitimate needs of Pakistan for defensive purposes. And we proceed on that basis, not on the basis of what other people think or don’t think about it,’ Richard Boucher, assistant secretary Of state for south and central Asian affairs told reporters at a briefing for the foreign media.
Washington had not heard anything from the Indian government about the F-16 deal, he said. ‘That’s up to the Indian government, if you want to ask them their attitude, go ahead.’
Considering the weapons package it could fulfill both purposes of fighting terrorist on its western boarder and an agressive india on its western boarder.
500 JDAMs
800 general purpose 2,000 and 500-pound bombs
Originally posted by chinawhite
Here is an article from a NON-INIDAN source, which should show a contrast between INIDAN worries and reality and the actual needs of the pakistani airforce. Its only natural to try and deny a enemy weapons and throw arguments
Originally posted by chinawhite
Considering the weapons package it could fulfill both purposes of fighting terrorist on its western boarder and an agressive india on its western boarder.
500 JDAMs
800 general purpose 2,000 and 500-pound bombs
These things are part of the arms PACKAGE and is rewarding pakistan in its help to fight terrorism. The only concern for the package is from the indians which does not waht the deal done since it has obvious concerns over the newer F-16s and the 500 Aim-120 missiles which is a great threat to indias airforce.
Originally posted by Stealth Spy
Why are you posting stuff about the J-7 and the Lavi ??? are you sure you are posting in the right forum ????
That is the most riddiculous thing i have heard. To fight terror in pakistan's own territory, none of that is even minutely required.
two out of my four sources are not Indian
Dawn.com source that you have used is a Pakistani newspaper's online version. Care to tell me why your own argument that "Its only natural to try and deny a enemy" will not apply here ???
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistan must provide written security assurances as part of a deal for $5.1 billion in American-made F-16 fighter jets and no equipment will be transferred until anti-diversion protections are in place, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has promised Congress.
.. Rice said in a letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday that before the first aircraft is delivered, Pakistan will sign a document that details Islamabad's security commitments.
In addition, "no aircraft or munitions will be delivered until U.S. officials have determined that all security measures are in place" and Congress has been briefed on those procedures, she said. "There should be no ambiguity regarding Pakistan's obligations in the security realm," the senators told Rice.
Some lawmakers have expressed concerns about Pakistan's past nuclear proliferation record, citing fears technology used in the Lockheed Martin Corp F-16s could be leaked to China, Pakistan's close military ally, and by extension help Chinese arms customers like Iran and Iran's clients in the Middle East, including Hizbollah, which is now fighting Israel.
I would note, Mr. Rohrabacher, that in our structure of the sale, I referred to before a set of documents never before shared in an arms notification process, between the executive branch and Congress, that I made the decision to share.
And it enumerated the technologies were not, that would usually go with an F-16, that are not part of this deal. And they include ones that would allow the F-16 to be used in offensive ways to penetrate airspace of another country that was highly defended. So, I think that's worth noting.
• US government has done a “security site survey” of Pak bases and facilities, drawn up security plans of these sites where the F-16s will be located and it has been put in the deal that Pakistan will comply with the ‘‘approved security plans’’.
• US presence to ‘‘monitor compliance’’ with the security plan and a ‘‘very enhanced end-use monitoring programme’’.
• Two-man rule for access to equipment and restricted areas, wherein Pakistan cannot use these F-16s in exercises and operations with third countries without prior approval of the US.
• The planes are not equipped with technology that would allow them to carry out offensive action to penetrate airspace of another country that is ‘‘highly defended’’. They cannot deliver nuclear weapons.
• F-16 maintenance and parts storage has to be in dedicated facilities run by Air Force personnel—and not sub-contractors—which are part of the ‘‘overall surveillance plan.’’
• No supply of the aircraft unless US finds Pakistan ‘‘fully compliant’’ with the security plan requirements.
• Routine access to F-16 aircraft also restricted to Pakistan Air Force personnel pre-approved by the US. And only the PAF can perform maintenance, no Pakistan contractors, industry or third countries to be involved.
“The security plan greatly exceeds US Air Force standards for our own security of these weapons systems,’’ Hillen said while urging the House panel to approve the sale. Even this did not fully convince the members as Hillen then went on to say there was more which he would discuss in detail in a ‘‘closed session’’.
WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - A handful of U.S. lawmakers have launched an 11th-hour attempt to block the sale of U.S.-made F-16 fighter aircraft to Pakistan but have garnered little immediate support.
Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Ed Markey, co-chair of a bipartisan task force on curbing the spread of nuclear arms, acted just before the end of a 30-day window, during which Congress has statutory power to block the proposed arms sale.
Israel Klein, a Markey spokesman, said: "We believe there's still an opportunity for Congress to weigh in and block the sale."
New York Democrat Rep. Gary Ackerman, co-chair of a congressional caucus on India, has also introduced legislation to prohibit the F-16 sale. He said in a statement he feared technology leakage to China among other risks. Ackerman has collected five co-sponsors -- four Democrats and Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, said Jordan Goldes, an Ackerman spokesman.
but surely there appears mulit-pronged efforts to thwart the sale of F-16's to pakistan.
Reuters (not an Indian source)
Originally posted by chinawhite
The list of precautions seem like standard procedure???.
A) Must be serviced by PAF personal seem like a no brainer to me
B) Ask for approval to use in foriegn wargames
no doubt posted from a inidan site Forgot your source? www.indianexpress.com...
Let me ask a question to people looking at this thread. What items on the F-16 Block 52 does china actually need?. The russians are willing to supply china all nessary weaponary.
A list of things the Block 52 has
- Aircraft composite materials
- Engine
- Radar
- ECM
- missiles?
- HUD
All these things above have already been developed by china
There were reports that france was offering the rafale in '04 which make sense considering the statements from Jacques Chirac about lifting the arms embargo the same year. Surely the rafale weapon suite is much more superior than the Block 52 in terms of ECM and HUD.
The russians also have been trying to sell china their Zhuk-MS PESA or AESA according to different reports.
Missile wise, china has a large choice, PL-12, PL-11,R-77, R-27. Re-confirgure all the planes to use a different missile with comparable performance
One of the main reasons for this precaution is because of the possible sale of Block 52 planes to taiwan which is in the same bracket as the ones the pakistanis will be getting. The US has already figured out why it should better arm taiwan because it wants to contain china.
Originally posted by Stealth Spy
Yup standard procedures Great work "denying ignorance".
Yup, the "US Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs John F Hillen" must be an Indian citizen; and the "House International Relations Committee" is also in India.
And china is willing to supply Pakistan all nessary weaponary. And they still want only US made stuff.
So, Mig-21 bis = Eurofighter.
Additionally France passed on all of the Rafales technology.
Yup. Zhuk-MS would fit into the nosecones of all of China's airplanes.
Could you please explain what F-16 sales to Taiwan has anything to do with Pakistan ?
Originally posted by Stealth Spy
A list of things the Mig-21 bis has
- Aircraft composite materials
- Engine
- Radar
- ECM
- missiles?
- HUD
A list of things the Eurofighter has
- Aircraft composite materials
- Engine
- Radar
- ECM
- missiles?
- HUD
So, Mig-21 bis = Eurofighter.
Originally posted by iqonx
It makes perfect sense that China does not need any technology from Pakistan from the F-16.
[edit on 13-8-2006 by iqonx]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistan appears close to signing a potential $5 billion deal for an advanced F-16 fighter-jet package.
But Washington has demanded what it calls unprecedented steps to safeguard the advanced F-16C/D models, their spare parts and munitions from third parties -- especially China, which has closed military ties to Pakistan.
[..] Pakistan would get a fighter said by Washington to be stripped of a cutting-edge offensive capability.
The initial security plan for the F-16s was presented to Congress on July 20 by John Hillen, the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, who described it as "extraordinary" and "unprecedented." In testimony to the House of Representatives' International Relations Committee, Hillen highlighted segregation of the aircraft from third country-origin aircraft and munitions, semi-annual F-16 inventories and more frequent looks at associated systems by U.S. personnel.
Still, the House panel's top Republican and Democrat demanded even more U.S. monitoring and oversight. Rep. Tom Lantos, the top Democrat, said he supported the sale, but was worried about technology security in a country "that produced the A.Q Khan nuclear network." Khan is a Pakistani scientist who confessed in 2004 to dodging international safeguards to smuggle banned nuclear wares to North Korea and Iran among others.
Hillen, in his testimony, disclosed the United States was withholding unspecified technologies "that would usually go with an F16," including ones that would let it "be used in offensive ways to penetrate air space of another country that was highly defended."
In addition, F-16 flights outside of Pakistan, including exercises with others, "must be approved in advance by the U.S. government," he said.