F-16 moved from Shahbaz to Sargodha: Implications

[SQ8]

Don't the MLU-ed ones come with the same level of technology as BLK52s? Yes there might be some differences, like the EW suite in the D version, but MLU's are suppose to do everything that BLK50s can do as well.....no?

Not entirely. The Block-52s have a teency bit more tricks not public.

 

[Windjammer]

Of course, a credible deterrent on both sides in needed to make M.A.D. work, and the F-16s are part of that overall setup. For all the fashionable hatred towards USA in Pakistan, that country has provided significant support to ensure that Pakistan has a credible nuclear deterrent in order to help stability in South Asia.

Agreed, US did provide Pakistan with F-16s with certain hindsights like when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, but even without these aircrafts, Pakistan has a very credible conventional and nonconventional defensive/offensive capability, you seem to be just praising America in every thread, no doubt their technology is the best but it also needs a professional to utilise this technology to it's best......even the F-16s.
This what you said elsewhere.

One of the finest examples of US military technology.

 

[VCheng]

Agreed, US did provide Pakistan with F-16s with certain hindsights like when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, but even without these aircrafts, Pakistan has a very credible conventional and nonconventional defensive/offensive capability, you seem to be just praising America in every thread, no doubt their technology is the best but it also needs a professional to utilise this technology to it's best......even the F-16s.
This what you said elsewhere.

Yes, those professionals that utilize the very best of US technology present in the F-16s were also trained by USA to fly them.

 

[sachin@india]

can someone comment on this.

Eventually, it was agreed that Pakistan would pay $80 million to perform the updates in Turkey. The U.S. also expressed concerns about basing the F-16s in Pakistan due to “concerns about potential technology transfer to China.” The outcome? Pakistan was made to fork out another $125 million to “build and secure a separate F-16 base” (197576: confidential).
The purported aim of selling the F-16s to Pakistan was to “yield foreign policy benefits for the U.S.,” but the cables reveal that these benefits were gift-wrapped almost always at Pakistan's expense.

Behind the Pakistan F-16 deal, a tale of many wheels - The Hindu
so, it seems they are vintage aircrafts, not the Blk 52

 

[Windjammer]

Yes, those professionals that utilize the very best of US technology present in the F-16s were also trained by USA to fly them.

Then i wonder if it was the US who trained these professionals how to shoot down F-15 Eagles another American prime product or did they shared secrets as how to take out the best Europe can offer ...I.E the Typhoon.
Third world countries can barely produce Diesel Drivers.

 

[Cyberian]

... The Block-52s are VERY VERY advanced aircraft with certain tricks that are not public and provide us a fairly potent strike asset. ...

What persuaded the Americans to handover this potent tech to Pakistan in the first place? Are they looking for a conventional and non-conventional balance in South Asia or is this reward for fighting America's war?

 

[Faisal Mushtaq]

America (as a State and not as Nation) is kind of BOLLYWOOD BHAI who doesn't bother to give guns to play with but to shoot someone you have to get his permission. So, its not a Support for us but a Policy of being BHAI of this world.

 

[VCheng]

Then i wonder if it was the US who trained these professionals how to shoot down F-15 Eagles another American prime product or did they shared secrets as how to take out the best Europe can offer ...I.E the Typhoon.
Third world countries can barely produce Diesel Drivers.

Have you forgotten the lessons of the old "sher kee khala" story?

 

[SQ8]

Of course, a credible deterrent on both sides in needed to make M.A.D. work, and the F-16s are part of that overall setup. For all the fashionable hatred towards USA in Pakistan, that country has provided significant support to ensure that Pakistan has a credible nuclear deterrent in order to help stability in South Asia.

That is what everybody on both sides seems to ignore. The US fears nuclear war in South Asia as it directly affects its interests and is damaging to the whole world in general. Therefore the US will continue to ensure that whatever the relations between the two nations it continues to facilitate publicly or privately depending on these relations a minimum level of conventional and nuclear deterrence to war in S.E Asia.

Despite all the open love for India, the US knows that all out war being prevented is the best option(for the time being anyway) and it will have no issue if that means releasing some fairly current and relevant hardware to meet this goal. If in turn it means that in a future aerial skirmish AMRAAMs slam into certain sukhois and certain jammers are more effective than predicted by the opposing force, it is prepared to take that diplomatic backlash from the opposing force to Pakistan ,,..then so be it.

 

[VCheng]

That is what everybody on both sides seems to ignore. The US fears nuclear war in South Asia as it directly affects its interests and is damaging to the whole world in general. Therefore the US will continue to ensure that whatever the relations between the two nations it continues to facilitate publicly or privately depending on these relations a minimum level of conventional and nuclear deterrence to war in S.E Asia.

Despite all the open love for India, the US knows that all out war being prevented is the best option(for the time being anyway) and it will have no issue if that means releasing some fairly current and relevant hardware to meet this goal. If in turn it means that in a future aerial skirmish AMRAAMs slam into certain sukhois and certain jammers are more effective than predicted by the opposing force, it is prepared to take that diplomatic backlash from the opposing force to Pakistan ,,..then so be it.

See, Uncle Sam is not all that bad!

 

[SQ8]

See, Uncle Sam is not all that bad!

No, but then Uncle Sam has also been pretty damaging with certain attitudes about its interest... but not without the help of willing cronies here

 

[sachin@india]

That is what everybody on both sides seems to ignore. The US fears nuclear war in South Asia as it directly affects its interests and is damaging to the whole world in general. Therefore the US will continue to ensure that whatever the relations between the two nations it continues to facilitate publicly or privately depending on these relations a minimum level of conventional and nuclear deterrence to war in S.E Asia.

Despite all the open love for India, the US knows that all out war being prevented is the best option(for the time being anyway) and it will have no issue if that means releasing some fairly current and relevant hardware to meet this goal. If in turn it means that in a future aerial skirmish AMRAAMs slam into certain sukhois and certain jammers are more effective than predicted by the opposing force, it is prepared to take that diplomatic backlash from the opposing force to Pakistan ,,..then so be it.

I think you have not read the article that I have posted above, especially this part

The despatches, from the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, indicated that the deal was, among other things, meant to assuage Pakistan's fears of an “existential threat it perceived from India.” The diplomatic cables, accessed by The Hindu through WikiLeaks, suggested that the purpose of the sale was to divert Pakistan's attention from “the nuclear option,” and give it “time and space to employ a conventional reaction” in the event of a conflict with India (151227: confidential). Privately, however, the U.S. acknowledged the “reality” that the F-16 programme would not change India's “overwhelming air superiority over Pakistan.” In fact, the cables bluntly assert that the F-16s would be “no match for India's proposed purchase of F-18 or equivalent aircraft.”

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

What if PAF use Block 52 against India if war occurs?

The primary reason was to give Pakistan a few days to fight the perceived threat from India. Although the F-16s aren't nor will they prevent India from achieving Air Superiority, Pakistan will be able to put up a decent fight to the last jet.

The deal has not shifted the balance of power, just another factor of deterrence.

The other reason was to get Pakistan support on the covert Operation Cyclone. The F-16 at that time was a state-of-the-art fighter jet. No better way to tell your "ally" that your important to it's national interests than sell it a couple jets to boost it's confidence.

Contrary to popular belief, the US did know about Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons plan prior to the Pressler Amendment, which came in 1985, and prior to 1980, however based on the lesser of two evils, Congress allowed the President to fund and equip Pakistan to fight the Soviets for a period of 6 years, until the Pressler Amend was passed.

The F-16s will be equipped with nuclear weapons as a last desperate resort; ONLY and ONLY if the hundreds of ballistic missile delivery systems, cruise missile systems and stand off weapons are somehow neutralized.

India will focus it's resources on disabling the F-16 threat. No military strategist wants to give a tactical advantage to their enemy.

What persuaded the Americans to handover this potent tech to Pakistan in the first place? Are they looking for a conventional and non-conventional balance in South Asia or is this reward for fighting America's war?

 

[VCheng]

No, but then Uncle Sam has also been pretty damaging with certain attitudes about its interest... but not without the help of willing cronies here

Of course, you take some lumps of coal along with the sugar. It's all part of the medicine.

 

[rockstar08]

F-16's blk 50/52 is one of the most advance jets in south Asia , no wonder if USA has some protocols to make sure that their tech is in safe hands ,and not transferring