AWACS are not offensive weapons. US was hesitant to allow such assets to Pakistan because it would introduce a new paradigm in the defense capabilities of South Asia. That's exactly why we saw US objecting to even Phalcon sales to China. However, not all the platforms are sanctions proof, now three nations having AWACS assets in the region changes the policy constraint. I don't see any issues in acquiring more modern platforms given the depth of the pockets. You clearly saw the difference of quality in the flying demonstration of JF-17 and F-16 and the fact that Army continues to use Orliken . That should certainly clear doubts about why PAF still loves F-16s as front-liner, or we continue to trust our Oerlikon AA guns and good old RBS-70s despite having many homegrown as well as Chinese systems entering service in recent years. Once an aviator explained to me the difference of Russian and Western techs as ,"In west, they put a pilot in cockpit and then design an aircraft around him. In Russia, they design an aircraft first and then stuff a pilot in the machine". Sanctions are a threat but the quality-sanctions trade off still favors western systems or the rest of the world (As PAF continues to search for more falcons, Navy continues to bag more EDA ships and army still looks towards more US equipment and Cobras).
