We will not give F-16 technology to China says Pakistan
Dated 20/7/2006
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New Delhi: 'Pakistan may proliferate US F-16 technology to China' -- this is the fear being voiced by US Congress as they debates a new weapons package to Islamabad. The Pakistan Air chief quickly came out with an assurance.
Pakistan will not proliferate US F-16 technology to China, says the chief of the PAF.
The assurance comes in the wake of fears in the US Congress that sensitive American technologies will be leaked to Beijing via Pakistan.
Air Chief Marshal, Pakistan Air Force Ahmed Chief says, “There is no such thing as an aeroplane or a piece of equipment having gone out of Pakistan to any other country."
Washington wants to sell Pakistan 16 new F-16 fighters with an option for a further 18 add on, 26 used F-16's bringing the total number to 70. The package includes missiles and other munitions.
The American concerns are based on suspicions that Pakistan allowed Chinese engineers to study F-16s sold earlier to Islamabad.
Even the Pakistani cruise missile Babur resembles the American Tomahawk and the Babur was developed in China.
The Pakistani air chief also claimed the deal will not spark an arms race with India.
"The ratio has always and traditionally been one is to more than three. In the past when we had 250 planes - I am talking of the fighter aeroplane, not the supporting planes - India had about 750. Today we have over 300 planes and they have over 900 planes," he adds.
The actual Indian figure would be around 500 given that a number of MiG fighters have been retired at the end of their service life.
