WASHINGTON (Web Desk) – From the weapons the United States is leaving behind in the region, Pakistan has been handed over 14 combat aircraft, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armoured personnel carrier.
The weapons supplied to Pakistan, according to a Congressional Research Service report, were earlier used by US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
US forces are pulling out of Afghanistan and they offered some of those weapons to Afghanistan and Pakistan among other allies in the region. Classified as “excessive defence articles”, these weapons can be supplied to allied nations at drawdown instead of having them shipped back.
The weapons include F-16 armaments including 500 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles; 1,450 2,000-pound bombs; 500 JDAM Tail Kits for gravity bombs; and 1,600 Enhanced Paveway laser-guided kits. All this has cost Pakistan $629 million.
Pakistan has also paid $298 million for 100 harpoon anti-ship missiles, 500 sidewinder air-to-air missiles ($95 million); and seven Phalanx Close-In Weapons System naval guns ($80 million), according to a Dawn report.
Under Coalition Support Funds (in the Pentagon budget), Pakistan received 26 Bell 412EP utility helicopters, along with related parts and maintenance, valued at $235 million.
Pakistan is also receiving military equipment with a mix of its national funds and America’s foreign military funding.
These include 60 Mid-Life Update kits for F-16A/B combat aircraft (valued at $891 million, with $477 million of this in FMF).
Pakistan has purchased 45 such kits, with all upgrades completed to date. This include 115 M-109 self-propelled howitzers ($87 million, with$53 million in FMF).
