US-PAK-F16

Context

Key Points

• Singh said the conversation ended warmly with a discussion on the "growing convergence of strategic interests and enhanced defence and security co-operation".
• The two ministries discussed ways to strengthen technological and industrial collaboration and also explore cooperation in emerging and critical technologies.

India's Response

• This was the first public statement by India on the latest US F-16 package to Pakistan.
• The Ministry of External Affairs has been quiet, though Ministry officials have said they communicated India's objections to US officials who were in New Delhi for the 2+2 Inter-sessional and Maritime Security Dialogues and a Quad Senior Officials Meeting at the time of the announcement on September 7.

• The Department of Defense readout on Austin's call with Singh made no mention of Indian Concerns on the F-16 package.
• As it demonstrates "strategic autonomy" to engage with every side Quad one week and Russia and China the next at the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand India appears determined to swallow its disappointment.
• After all, New Delhi can stay away from zero-sum games, work around Western Sanctions to buy oil from Russia and keep friends in all camps, which prevents the US from pleasing a non-NATO ally.

Package to PAK 

• According to the September 7 Defense Security Co-operation Agency press release, included in the $450 million package the proposed contractor for which is Lockheed Martin are technical and logistics services for follow on the support of Pakistan's F-16 fleet.

• In effect, this means a lifetime upgrade for Pakistan's existing fleet of F-16s.
• The proposed sale does not include any new capabilities weapons or munitions.

• Also, the proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

Reasons

• Among the speculated reasons for the Biden Administration's reversal of Trump's policy on Pakistan, one revolves around the Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul.
• Questions have swirled, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as to who provided the intelligence for the drone strike that killed the al-Qaeda chief in a posh house that belonged to Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Imran Khan allegations

• Last year, former Prime Minister Imran Khan categorically denied American assertions that it was negotiating air space rights for security counter terrorism-related operations in Afghanistan.
• Imran's allegations of a US hand in his ouster did not prevent the Shehbaz Sharif government from repairing ties with the Biden administration.

• Imran's recent comments in an interview to a Pakistani TV channel that he is, in fact, not anti-US and that he has been in touch with various US officials, suggest that the new turn in US-Pakistan relations was inevitable.
• All players in Pakistan's military, its ruling and opposition politicians and the US know they need one another and that the rest is rhetoric.

• The Pakistan Air Force now has more Chinese JF-17 Thunder fighter jets than F-16s but it continues to rely on the ageing American aircraft, as the India-Pakistan 2019 skirmish demonstrated.

India, Pak, the Aircraft

Conclusion

• The Package could also be a US signal to both Islamabad and New Delhi that it is time to break the long impasse in relations.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message of commiseration with Pakistan over the floods did not lead to any further steps, especially after Prime Minister Sharif ruled out the tentative suggestions of trade with India by his Finance Minister Miftah Ismail.
• At the time of writing, no meeting was scheduled between the two PMs in Samarkand, But it had not been ruled out either.

For Prelims & Mains