The United States has approved a USD 686 million maintenance and system-upgrade package for F-16 fighter jets of Pakistan. This move has drawn close scrutiny from defence analysts, who believe the scale and nature of the package suggest that the aircraft may have suffered significant damage during Operation Sindoor. Reportedly, the upgrades closely align with the repairs required following strikes at key Pakistani Air Force bases earlier this year.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has informed the US Congress about a package being provided to Pakistan. This package includes a wide range of avionics, communication, and mission-support upgrades, which directly matches the categories of equipment and infrastructure that were previously reported to have been damaged on the F-16s during Operation Sindoor. According to The Sunday Guardian, citing internal Pakistani documents, the F-16 fighter jets were reported to have sustained damage after the Indian military operation.
What does the repair package include?
According to the DSCA notification, the $686 million package includes the Link-16 tactical data link system, new secure communications and cryptographic modules, updates to the Operational Flight Program (OFP) software, advanced mission-planning and debriefing systems, ground-based test equipment, and a large stock of necessary spare parts and support items. The package also includes engineering and technical services from the original equipment manufacturer, simulator support, documentation, depot-level maintenance assistance, and the hardware required to recalibrate and recertify the F-16 avionics and weapon integration systems.
Apart from this, it also includes Inert Mk-82 500-pound bomb body, which is used for weapon release and system integration testing. According to reports, most of the funds included in this package correspond to the same categories that Pakistan hastily tried to fix after Operation Sindoor.
A report in The Guardian had previously stated that Pakistani documents indicated an urgent need for repairs at Shahbaz, Mushaf, Minhas, Masroor, and Faisal airbases. The tenders issued by Pakistan at the time mentioned urgent requirements for communication networks, mission-support servers, electronic warfare systems, power distribution networks, ground testing equipment, and storage processors. These documents and the new US funding clearly indicate that Operation Sindoor had a significant impact on the infrastructure associated with F-16 operations, even though Pakistan has not publicly acknowledged any damage.
