Pakistan could drop US as supplier of military Aircraft for PAF

[Varun]

LONDON – PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has warned the US that it risks fuelling terrorism in the region and undermining military efforts in Afghanistan if the Trump administration follows through with a threat to downgrade its relationship with Islamabad, Financial Times reported.

The prime minister told Financial Times in an earlier interview that the US’s hardline approach against Pakistan could backfire.

Just days after the Financial Times revealed that the US was considering stripping Pakistan of its status as an ally because of a perceived failure to tackle terrorism, Abbasi said the hardline approach risked backfiring.

He also hinted that Islamabad could drop the US as a supplier of military aircraft.

He did not however go into details as to what other measures Islamabad could take.

But Financial Times quoted a source close to the Pakistani army as saying: “We could make it harder for the US to use supply routes through Pakistan to serve its troops in Afghanistan, and we could stop co-operating on drone attacks. That would make the war in Afghanistan a lot more difficult.”

Abbasi also told the Financial Times that US President Donald Trump’s new war strategy for Afghanistan and the region was “confusing” and that he had to rely on media reports to find out what Trump’s plans were.

“The signals we get from Washington are confusing, but our message is very clear: we are committed to fighting terror and we will continue to fight terror,” Abbasi told the Financial Times.
“All it will do [if the US downgrades Pakistan as an ally] is degrade our efforts to fight terror, and I am not sure if that will work for the US,” he said.

https://timesofislamabad.com/pakist...lier-of-military-aircraft-for-paf/2017/09/18/

The current PM of Pakistan is hardly an interim or titular leader if he can take tough decisions like these.

The PAF is heavy on F-16s - I wonder if they have an alternative readied if they take such a drastic step?

 

[Eagle_Eye]

The current PM of Pakistan is hardly an interim or titular leader if he can take tough decisions like these.

The PAF is heavy on F-16s - I wonder if they have an alternative readied if they take such a drastic step?

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....o-use-pakistani-pilots-for-f-16-training/amp/
Take the above as an example...
US never learns.... ofcourse they will have to, the US will never give them latest or near latest technology. They are hell bent on keeping Pakistan at a technological disadvantage. They won't even let Pakistani pilots get into and fly a newer generation F16...

 

[Pakpak]

The current PM of Pakistan is hardly an interim or titular leader if he can take tough decisions like these.

The PAF is heavy on F-16s - I wonder if they have an alternative readied if they take such a drastic step?

PAF isn't that heavy on F-16's anymore, there is a slow induction of 100s of new jet fighters (Jf17) developed with the Chinese. Relying on Americans for aircraft has mostly been pointless for the last decade or so.

 

[Varun]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....o-use-pakistani-pilots-for-f-16-training/amp/
Take the above as an example...
US never learns.... ofcourse they will have to, the US will never give them latest or near latest technology. They are hell bent on keeping Pakistan at a technological disadvantage. They won't even let Pakistani pilots get into and fly a newer generation F16...

As was the consensus in this thread, Pakistan allying with the two-faced US has been a mistake.

Why didn't Pakistan ally with the Soviet Union after independence?

Their technological superiority does not compensate for the strings attached with any military purchase from their stables.

 

[the Great Khan]

PAF isn't that heavy on F-16's anymore, there is a slow induction of 100s of new jet fighters (Jf17) developed with the Chinese. Relying on Americans for aircraft has mostly been pointless for the last decade or so.

thats actually untrue. We are still reliant on maintaining a credible deterrence and the block-52's provide us with that extra punch for defence. Until the Block 3 JF17 comes in we will remain reliant on these. The f16 MLU#s are also very much a core part of the force and provide blk-52 equivalent deterrence too.

Our biggest issue is getting a new 4.5 gen fighter and working towards a fifth gen. Moves are underway but these things take time. Once we get the 150 jf17's and then the block 3's in, only then can we truly think about potentailly ditching the yanks.

Luckily , despite all the bluster between us, India doesnt want a war and neither do we hence the shoar sharaba but ultimatley they are taking their time inductiing planes and so are we. There is urgency but not in the way people presume.