Pakistan receives four F-16 fighter jets

Pakistan receives four F-16 fighter jets

Islamabad, July 28, 2008: Pakistan Monday received another batch of four F-16 fighter jets from the US, marking the completion of a package of US delivery since 2005. Lt Gen Martin E Dempsey, acting commander of the US Central Command, handed over the four F-16 fighter aircraft to Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed at the Mushaf airbase in Pakistan's Punjab province. The batch of aircraft will significantly augment its combat capability in defending the aerial frontiers of Pakistan, Geo TV channel quoted Ahmed as saying. The handover ceremony also marks the completion of the delivery of 14 F-16 aircraft the US agreed to provide Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales programme, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. The first two F-16s were delivered in December 2005, two more in July 2007, two in February 2008 and four in June 2008, the APP added. Pakistan received the fighter jets just days after the US government proposed shifting $230 million from its counter-terrorism aid package to Pakistan to help the country upgrade its aging F-16 fighter jets.