India's Crocodile Tears

[Windjammer]

INDIA’S CROCODILE TEARS
As has already been clarified, there is no contractual clause which limits the use of F-16s for any type of mission, or against any country, and most certainly not when used in self defence against brazen external aggression. The employment (or otherwise) of F-16s by PAF in the recent two-day conflict is a non-issue for the simple reason that we purchased these fighters to be used in hostilities against any adversary, as deemed fit. It should also be clear that we have a traditional enemy with whom we have fought three wars and as many lesser operations, so all our military hardware, especially airplanes, are planned to be used against it in case of aggression. It should be clear to all and sundry that these airplanes are not for air displays alone, and the air-to-air missiles are not for use against any phantom air force of the Taliban. We wouldn't have spent a fortune buying these planes if there was any limitation on their use, or else we would have bought fighters from other sources, which are no less in capability. Having said that, we are in no position to comment about their usage in this recent 2-day conflict. All that can be said is that the PAF has several types of combat aircraft, each arrayed with different types of weapons. The best aircraft-weapon combo, as dictated by the operational requirements, was put to use. Do not expect anyone to give away details of which aircraft and which weapons were used, especially when the conflict hasn’t quite died down. Speculations are best avoided in the circumstances prevailing; let the enemy go mad guessing about our weapons and tactics. Finally, a few words about the Indian government and IAF shedding crocodile tears about the employment of F-16s, which is 'unsportsman-like' to say the least. Getting drubbed is humiliating enough, but crying about it by complaining to big daddy just isn't 'manly', it must be said. An honourable course of action for Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa, the IAF air chief, would have been to resign after the disastrous leadership that he displayed. The fact of the matter is that IAF's 'surgical strike' failed spectacularly, and it lost two fighters in the fray, and a helicopter to fratricide. Clearly, it was a repeat of the 1 Sep 1965 rout of four IAF Vampires that set the pace for PAF’s brilliant performance in the days that followed. India can go on lobbying against our F-16s, but it must remember that Pakistan is past the sanctions punishment by US, having experienced it eight times since 1965, so we couldn't care less about more of them. I am, however sure that the US is not impressed by the Indian wails and ‘wa-waylah’. The US State Department’s deputy spokesman Robert Palladino clearly stated yesterday, that “as a matter of policy, we don’t publicly comment on the contents of bilateral agreements involving US defence technologies.” Mr Palladino also said that the US avoided public discussions on communications with other countries about such issues. Quite a snub by USA to India, in short.

Reproduced with kind permission of Sir Kaiser Tufail.

 

[CriticalThought]

OK. No more analysis from me until things cool down.