— State Department says sale won’t alter ‘basic military balance’ in regionWASHINGTON: The US State Department has approved the potential sale of F-16 aircraft sustainment and related equipment to Pakistan in a deal valued at up to $450 million, the Pentagon said. In a notification to Congress, the State Department “made a determination approving the possible sale”, arguing it will sustain Islamabad’s capability to meet current and future counterterrorism threats by maintaining its F-16 fleet. But the sale won’t provide Pakistan with any new capabilities, weapons, or munitions. Pakistan, a State Department spokesperson separately said, is an important counterterrorism partner, and as part of longstanding policy, Washington provides life cycle maintenance and sustainment packages for US-origin platforms. This is Washington’s first major security assistance to Pakistan since 2018 when then-president Donald Trump announced to halt defense and security assistance to Pakistan.

Source: Pakistan Today September 08, 2022 19:30 UTC