Pakistan has top-of-the-line US arms

[Interceptor]

Pakistan has top-of-the-line US arms

Sunday, June 17, 2007

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: The defence relationship between Pakistan and the US has been described as “robust” in a research study published here and the military and defence equipment received by Pakistan since 2001, “top of the line”.

Col David O Smith, former US military attaché at the US embassy in Islamabad, writes in the current issue of Strategic Insights, a publication of the Centre for Contemporary Conflict at the National Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, recalls that between 1954 and 2002, the US provided Pakistan a total of $12.6 billion in economic and military assistance.

Since 9/11, it has provided $4.42 billion in economic and military assistance to Pakistan, but when $4.58 billion in reimbursement for Pakistan’s military contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom is added, the total amount of direct US Treasury outlay to the Pakistani government in 2002-2007 amounts to $9 billion. Fully $6.39 billion of this amount is directly or indirectly related to Pakistani military programmes.

According to Col Smith, “The US has made available to Pakistan a wide variety of top-of-the-line military equipment hitherto considered politically sensitive. Air force systems delivered or in the pipeline include 36 F-16 C/D block 50/52 fighter aircraft, the most modern version currently flown by the US Air Force; a programme to modernise all 34 of Pakistan’s existing F-16 fleet to the same standard; 500 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) - the largest single international AMRAAM purchase in the history of the programme; 200 AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles; and six C-130E transport aircraft. Navy systems delivered or in the pipeline include eight P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft; a programme to modernise Pakistan’s existing P-3 fleet; Harpoon block 2 missiles, and three additional P-3 aircraft that will be configured with the E-2C HAWKEYE airborne early warning electronics suite.

“Army equipment delivered or in the pipeline includes 26 Bell 412 helicopters; 20 AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters and modernisation of Pakistan’s existing Cobra fleet, Harris high frequency radios, TOW-2A anti-tank missiles, and 115 M-109A5 howitzers. To manage these programmes the embassy security assistance office, the Office of the Defence Representative, Pakistan (ODRP) has expanded to a complex organisation of approximately 40 military personnel headed by a major general.”

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\06\17\story_17-6-2007_pg1_6

 

[BATMAN]

The defence relationship between Pakistan and the US has been described as “robust” in a research study published here and the military and defence equipment received by Pakistan since 2001, “top of the line”.

The period between late 80's and 90's can be termed as dark decade for Pak-US relationship.

Will these relationships ever be at same level as from Afghan war time or other past times?

 

[Interceptor]

Explain what you mean by the 80's and 90's being a dark decade for arms sales? During the 80's Pakistan received free arms from the US and tons of it, the Pakistanis use to distribute this to the Afgans. This is the same period they received the F-16 and it was then known as the best fighter jet available on the market.

 

[Neo]

Pakistan received good amount of military aid during 1979-1987 but sanctions were imposed soon after Sovjet vacated Afghanistan. The sale of a follow up batch of 71 F-16's was blocked, some navy vessels returned to US and the 90's hit an absolute low in Pak-US relationship as the aid was linked to our nuclear programme and denied under the pressler amandement.

 

[Interceptor]

After Zia the country advanced rapidly in technology especially when developing its own Rocket factory and then launching its satellites.

 

[niaz]

After Zia the country advanced rapidly in technology especially when developing its own Rocket factory and then launching its satellites.

This is heresy. I am very anti Zia myself, but to the devil his due; Zia gave a free hand to AQ Khan with no question asked else we would not have our A-bomb today. Please give concrete examples to prove your point.

 

[Neo]

This is heresy. I am very anti Zia myself, but to the devil his due;

That makes two of us.

Zia gave a free hand to AQ Khan with no question asked else we would not have our A-bomb today. Please give concrete examples to prove your point.

Sir,

I beg to differ here. AQ Khan may have expedited the programme and given us Uranium Enrichment capability but didn't we already have a good nuclear programme based on Pu which was replaced by HEU by AQ Khan?
AQ Khan project mastered nuclear capability in 1987 but would have come there eventually using the Pu programme.

 

[Samudra]

we already have a good nuclear programme based on Pu which was replaced by HEU by AQ Khan

Replaced? Sure it was 'replaced' ?

 

[BATMAN]

That makes two of us.

Neither I'm a big fan of Zia

Question:

Explain what you mean by the 80's and 90's being a dark decade for arms sales? During the 80's Pakistan received free arms from the US and tons of it, the Pakistanis use to distribute this to the Afgans. This is the same period they received the F-16 and it was then known as the best fighter jet available on the market.

Answer:

The period between late 80's and 90's can be termed as dark decade for Pak-US relationship.

i.e. 1987 - 1997

 

[Interceptor]

This is heresy. I am very anti Zia myself, but to the devil his due; Zia gave a free hand to AQ Khan with no question asked else we would not have our A-bomb today. Please give concrete examples to prove your point.

It was Zia who told AQ Khan to tell the Indian reporter when the Indian delegation came to Pakistan that Pakistan has developed the bomb, he allowed the countries secret to leak out. Which cost Pakistan dearly, well Zia could not question him any how Bhutto set up the Housing project with a team and it was self sufficient to work on its own.

 

[Neo]

Replaced? Sure it was 'replaced' ?

AQ Khan, a metalurgist who graduated from Berlin and Leuven (Belgium) initiated the HEU programme based on his experience with Unrenco, a tri-nation Uranium Enrichment Company based in Almelo (Netherlands). Pu programme was put aside as HEU became top priority but never fully abandoned.
We're running both programmes now.

 

[Always Neutral]

Pakistan has top-of-the-line US arms

Sunday, June 17, 2007

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: The defence relationship between Pakistan and the US has been described as “robust” in a research study published here and the military and defence equipment received by Pakistan since 2001, “top of the line”.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\06\17\story_17-6-2007_pg1_6

Dear Interceptor,

What are your views on being too dependant on US Arms since we all know that US have sometimes been fair weather friends ?

Also I am curious can these arms given by US for eg like the Harpoons be jammed/disabled/led astray by them using a secret in built code in a war scenario they don't approve ?

Regards

 

[Always Neutral]

The period between late 80's and 90's can be termed as dark decade for Pak-US relationship.

Will these relationships ever be at same level as from Afghan war time or other past times?

Dear Batman,

Actually I feel all dark decades have benefits. Pakistan built even deeper relations with China and also started indegenous production and research which in the long run is good for Pakistan.

Regards

 

[BATMAN]

Dear Batman,

Actually I feel all dark decades have benefits. Pakistan built even deeper relations with China and also started indegenous production and research which in the long run is good for Pakistan.

Regards

Dear AN,

So does it appears to many, but I'm not the one who support translating missed opportunities as a reason of development.
Rather, I believe if 15 years ago, Pakistan had similar ecnomic situation as of today than results would have been even better.

''Indegenous'' is Indian trade mark and they are the only legal owner of this word. If I really ought to impress some one than I would choose different words. You better be careful with this word, in future

Best Regards.

 

[Always Neutral]

Dear AN,

So does it appears to many, but I'm not the one who support translating missed opportunities as a reason of development.
Rather, I believe if 15 years ago, Pakistan had similar ecnomic situation as of today than results would have been even better.

''Indegenous'' is Indian trade mark and they are the only legal owner of this word. If I really ought to impress some one than I would choose different words. You better be careful with this word, in future

Best Regards.

Dear Batman,

Ok will avoid the word in posts to you. Since I have visited India maybe I have picked up the word sub-conciously but you are wrong when you say indigenous is an Indian word. Its actually comes from Latin

indigenous
Main Entry: in·dig·e·nous
Pronunciation: in-'di-j&-n&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin indigenus, from Latin indigena, noun, native, from Old Latin indu, endo in, within + Latin gignere to beget -- more at END-, KIN

1 : having originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment <indigenous plants> <the indigenous culture>
2 : INNATE, INBORN
synonym see NATIVE
- in·dig·e·nous·ly adverb
- in·dig·e·nous·ness noun

Please see below the link

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=indigenous

Regards

Ps : Just a thought even if its an Indian or Pakistani word why cannot it be used in this forum if it is not malacious or racist ?