The US has permitted $686 million arms bundle aimed toward respiration new life into Pakistan’s getting old F-16 fighter jet fleet, a transfer that might set off issues in India.
Introduced on December 8, 2025, through a proper notification to Congress from the Protection Safety Cooperation Company (DSCA), the deal contains cutting-edge avionics, safe communication programs, and complete sustainment assist to maintain these Chilly Warfare-era jets in service till the 2040s.
The bundle breaks down into two important buckets: $37 million for “main protection gear” and $649 million for the nuts-and-bolts extras like software program tweaks, coaching applications, and logistical spine.
On the coronary heart of the improve program is a batch of 92 Hyperlink-16 tactical knowledge hyperlink programs.
“These updates will present extra seamless integration and interoperability between the Pakistan Air Power and the U.S. Air Power in fight operations, workout routines, and coaching, and refurbishment will lengthen the plane life by means of 2040 whereas addressing vital flight security issues.”
“The purchaser has proven a dedication to sustaining its navy forces and can have no problem absorbing these articles and companies into its armed forces.”
“The proposed sale of this gear and assist won’t alter the fundamental navy steadiness within the area.”
The bundle comprises no new plane, no long-range standoff weapons (e.g., no AGM-158 JASSM), no superior air-to-air missiles past the prevailing AIM-120C-5 AMRAAMs already in PAF stock, and no electronic-attack pods.
It’s pure sustainment and safety-of-flight work, plus Hyperlink-16 to maintain the fleet related.
Lockheed Martin in Fort Value will lead the trouble as prime contractor, with assist from L3Harris, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman for subsystems. Crucially, the DSCA provides two reassuring notes for Congress and U.S. taxpayers:
- “Implementation of this proposed sale won’t require the project of any further U.S. Authorities or contractor representatives to Pakistan.”
- “There will probably be no adversarial impression on U.S. protection readiness on account of this proposed sale.”
No Hyperlink 22 For Pakistan?
Tactical knowledge hyperlinks are safe, high-speed digital radio networks that tie collectively plane, ships, floor stations, and command posts right into a single, real-time battlefield image.
They change excess of simply dots on a map: every platform shares its place, gas state, weapons load-out, sensor tracks, and — when cleared — even the places of hostile forces.
Hyperlink 16 stays the NATO commonplace and is fitted to nearly each Western fight plane, from the F-16 and Storm to the F-35 and Rafale. It’s seamlessly networked with airborne early-warning platforms such because the E-3 Sentry, electronic-intelligence collectors just like the RC-135 Rivet Joint, and high-altitude drones, together with the RQ-4B International Hawk.
But Hyperlink 16, now greater than three a long time outdated, reveals its age. Its omnidirectional transmissions and restricted bandwidth make it more and more weak to trendy jamming and direction-finding in contested environments.
In an period dominated by info and situational consciousness, sharing solely primary pleasant positions, gas, and ordnance knowledge is not sufficient — particularly towards peer adversaries like Russia and China.
Right this moment’s fifth-generation fighters — the American F-35, Chinese language J-20, and Russian Su-57 — go far past final century’s Community-Centric Warfare ideas. They make use of superior sensor fusion, routinely mixing inputs from infrared search-and-track programs, energetic electronically scanned arrays, electro-optical pods, and off-board satellite tv for pc or satellite tv for pc sources.
The result’s a clear, de-conflicted battlespace image offered to the pilot with out handbook correlation, dramatically dashing decision-making.
For that stage of integration, newer knowledge hyperlinks are required. The F-35’s stealth-optimized Multifunction Superior Information Hyperlink (MADL) and NATO’s Hyperlink 22 are much better suited to the duty.
Hyperlink 22, particularly, affords superior anti-jam efficiency, automated community administration, greater throughput, and true beyond-line-of-sight connectivity by means of HF skywave — delivering gapless protection out to 1,000 nautical miles or extra.
As Taiwanese defence analyst Chieh Chung famous in Might 2023, “Hyperlink 22 represents a considerable leap over Hyperlink 16. It tremendously strengthens anti-jamming capabilities, improves command effectivity, and gives considerably quicker knowledge transmission.”
Fellow researcher Su Tzu-yun has identified that Hyperlink 22’s automated grouping perform can generate a full frequent operational image, clearly distinguishing pleasant, impartial, and enemy forces in actual time.
By comparability, some assessments recommend China’s newest XS-3 and DTS-03 knowledge hyperlinks already outclass Hyperlink 16 in each throughput and resilience.
Hyperlink 22 is developed and managed by the seven core nations of the NATO Improved Hyperlink Eleven (NILE) challenge: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the US.
Operational integration into fighter plane stays selective — totally on late-tranche Eurofighter Typhoons, Rafale (French Navy and Air Power), and, in restricted take a look at configurations, the F-35.
Most NATO air forces reserve it for high-end platforms taking part in main coalition workout routines or Indo-Pacific deployments.
Pakistan, subsequently, will obtain the confirmed however older-generation Hyperlink 16 with its newest F-16 sustainment bundle — a deliberate and reassuring selection from Washington’s perspective.
It enhances interoperability with U.S. and CENTCOM forces for counter-terrorism missions with out granting Islamabad the cutting-edge, jam-resistant, beyond-line-of-sight networking reserved for America’s closest treaty allies.
Impression Of ‘Upgraded’ F-16 Jets On India
In line with IAF Veteran Squadron Chief (retd) Vijainder Thakur, “Whereas I don’t imagine that the bundle would considerably alter the steadiness of energy, it should most actually permit the PAF to keep up its deterrence functionality towards the IAF.”
“The US has at all times relied on Pakistan resulting from its strategic location, as it’s the gateway to Afghanistan, the Center East, and the Central Asian republics. Its significance as a launch pad can’t be downplayed, and Pakistan is equally conscious of it. And, within the US, a robust pro-Pakistan foyer advantages resulting from varied offers and support to Pakistan – they receives a commission by corrupt Pakistani officers and Generals. The current F-16 deal can be to be checked out from that angle. Total, it should have little impression on the IAF, besides as an irritant. Numerically and qualitatively, IAF is a lot better positioned,” Air Vice Marshal Pranay Sinha (retd) earlier instructed EurAsian Occasions.
In line with Group Captain Johnson Chacko, KC (retd), “Arms transactions worldwide are business-oriented—cash issues. The US has equipped F-16s to Pakistan, so it’s honor-bound to keep up them.
By ET On-line Desk
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