A $450 million F-16 sustainment package

Background

Since the 2016 financing dispute and the 2018 suspension of security assistance, US–Pakistan defence trade had largely stalled. Pakistan's F-16s, its most capable American-made aircraft, depended on US support for spare parts, maintenance and software.

What happened

On 7 September 2022 the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress that the State Department had approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan of an F-16 case for sustainment and related equipment, at an estimated cost of $450 million. Pakistan had asked to consolidate earlier sustainment and support cases. The notification stated that the sale did not include any new capabilities, weapons or munitions, and said it would allow Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in counter-terrorism operations; the principal contractor was Lockheed Martin^1,2,5.

India criticised the decision sharply. At an event in Washington, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the US was not fooling anybody about the purpose of the aircraft³. Blinken defended the package, saying it sustained existing aircraft rather than providing new planes, systems or weapons, and that Pakistan's programme bolstered its capability to deal with terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan or the region^3,4.

Why it mattered

The sale signalled that Washington wished to preserve a working defence relationship with Pakistan after the Afghan war - while keeping it limited to maintenance rather than new capabilities. India's reaction showed how any US–Pakistan military cooperation continued to be judged in New Delhi through the lens of India–Pakistan rivalry.

Legacy

Pakistan's F-16s were used in the India–Pakistan hostilities of May 2025, a reminder of the dual role of such equipment that India had pointed to.