Controversy Over U.S Grant To Pak For F-16 Fighters
U.S reassures India amid concerns over aid to Pak
U.S F-16 Jets package not designed as message to India
Controversy over Joe Biden govt $ 450 million package for Pak to sustain its F-16 fleet . After India Defense minister conveyed concerns to U.S over Washington decision .
U.S assistant security of defense Dr Ely S Ratner has once again assured India .
Reportedly the top American defense official said that the U.S package on F-16 fighter jets for Pak is not designed as a message to India .He claimed that U.S has ‘‘limited security partnerships’’ with Pakistan .
U.S Reassures India
“ The decision inside the U.S government around the F-16 issue made predicated on U.S interests associated with with our defense partnership with Pakistan which is primarily focused on counterterrorism and nuclear security .
And as the secretary made clear to minister Singh during their call last week , this case did not include any upgrades or munitions . It is one that we have been engaging in with our Indian counterparts ,both in advance of the announcement to preview it and during my visit with assistant secretary Lu in Delhi as well .
So we thought it was quite important to be as transparent as we could with Indian counterparts both in advance and during that decision. And it provided a good opportunity to have a healthy exchange on both the U.S rationale for its limited security partnership with Pakistan as well as a good opportunity to hear India Concerns about that”.
Comments from the U.S side come even as Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif is in New York. Earlier Washington told India that the multi-million dollar support to Pakistan will not impact India or alter the military balance in the Indian Subcontinent .
Lockheed Martin which makes the F-16 on its website says the four -decade old fighter jet programme has so far produced 4,500 F-16S for 25 countries .
These jets have flown a combined sorties of over 13 million lockheed martin says .
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