According to Pakistan media reports, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is all set to upgrade its F-16 program with technical assistance and possibly 36 advanced fighter jets from the United States.
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. has won a fixed-price $9.1 million contract for technical security team support services for Pakistan’s F-16 program, according to the United States Department of Defense. On the official website, it wrote:
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $9,111,111 predominantly firm-fixed-price undefinitized contract to provide technical security team support services in support of the Pakistan F-16 program.
According to the details, the deadline for the project is set as 18 June 2020 and all the work will be done in Pakistan.
“This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Foreign military sales funds of $4,464,444 are being obligated at the time of the award”, states the Defense Department’s contracts list for 16 December 2019.
Billions have already been spent on Pakistan’s top of the line fighters ever since the induction of Block 15 F-16A/B configuration in PAF in 1982.
Pakistan had bought a $5.1 billion Military Sales Package from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in 2006, however, the deal didn’t go through completely due to the 2005 Earthquake, however, it is now going through with Pakistan set to get 36 F-16C/D Block 50/52 with modern APG-68(V)9 radars.
The package for new F-16s includes:
- 7 spare F100-PW-229 EEP engines
- 7 spare APG-68(V)9 radar sets
- 36 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS)
- 36 AN/ARC-238 SINCGARS radios with HAVE QUICK I/II
- 36 Conformal Fuel Tanks
- 36 Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals
- 36 GPS and Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation Systems
- 36 APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe Systems
- 36 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites: ALQ-211 AIDEW without Digital Radio Frequency Memory (picked); or AN/ALQ-184 Electronic Counter Measures pod without DRFM; or AN/ALQ-131 Electronic Counter Measures pod without DRFM; or AN/ALQ-187 Advanced Self-Protection Integrated Suites without DRFM; or AN/ALQ-178 Self-Protection Electronic Warfare Suites without DRFM.
- 1 Unit Level Trainer
In addition, associated support equipment will also be a part of the deal. A $650 million deal for advanced weaponry for new F-16s will also take place and it will include: 500 AIM-120C5 AMRAAM, 12 AMRAAM training missile, 200 AIM-9M-8/9 Sidewinder Short-Range Air-Air Missiles, 240 LAU-129/A Launchers, 500 GBU-31/38 Guided Bomb Unit (GBU) kits, 600 Enhanced Paveway GBU-12 and GBU-24s, 800 MK-82 500 pound and MK-84 2,000 pound GP bombs and 700 BLU-109 2,000-pound bunker-buster.
Pakistan has also expressed its desire to purchase the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) Program equipment for PAF’s F-16A/B fighter aircraft for $1.3 billion whereas another $151 million will be spent on F-16 A/B Engine Modifications and Falcon UP/STAR Structural Upgrades.
