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US will upgrade F-16s: Pakistan
September 30, 2003 18:47 IST
Last Updated: September 30, 2003 18:55 IST
Pakistan on Tuesday said the United States has agreed to supply it with modern weapons systems and upgrade its fleet of 20-year-old F-16 jets.
"The Pentagon has agreed to help suffice the country's defence needs to effectively check the imbalance of power being created by India in the region," Pakistan Defence Secretary Lieutenant General (retd) Hamid Nawaz said in Islamabad.
However, some of the major items sought by Pakistan have to be approved by the US Congress, including matching systems to counter the Phalcon radar systems being acquired by India from Israel, he said.
He said Pakistan handed over a list of equipment at the Pakistan-US Defence Coordination Group meeting two weeks ago in Washington.
"They agreed to our list except for two, three items that need approval from the US Congress," he said.
However, the joint statement issued after the DCG meeting did not list any major items except supply of spares for 30 F-16s.