“Acquisition of new airborne capabilities by Pakistan is definitely a matter of concern for us since it’s always primarily directed at us. If US thinks Pakistan will only use its upgraded F-16s for counter-terrorism, it’s sadly mistaken,” said a top defence officer, who refused to be named.

Western Air Command (WAC) chief, Air Marshal P K Barbora, in turn, said, “Every country does what it thinks is needed for its defence requirements. The question is what is going to be given to Pakistan with the F-16 upgrade programme.” Trail of tears and failure: Indian missiles. 

The Bush administration, on its part, holds Pakistan’s F-16s will be upgraded with advanced targeting, precision-guided munitions (PGMs) and radar systems to improve their capability to attack terrorist targets along the volatile Afghan border. Chinese technology exports to Pakistan: JF-17 Thunder, J-10s, J-11s

This upgrade programme of the 30 of the original 40 F-16s acquired by Pakistan between 1983 and 1987, however, comes after Washington also agreed to sell Islamabad 18 to 25 spanking new F-16 variants, armed with a wide array of advanced missiles.

JF-17 Thunders Beyond the JF-17 Thunders. The J-10s etc. 

“Moreover, Pakistan will begin inducting the first lot of the planned 250 JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighters from China by end-2008. We obviously have to keep a close watch on this. Fighters are weapons of war, not of counter-terrorism,” said another officer.

But even as it grapples with a steady downturn in the number of its fighter squadrons, down to just 32 from the “sanctioned strength” of 39.5, IAF is “not too worried” at the developments. Russia elides India in Flanker Su-30 development

“We have our own plans of new acquisitions and upgrades of existing fleets to boost our defence preparedness,” said Air Marshal Barbora, whose command is primarily responsible for guarding the skies on the entire western front. Air Forces in South Asia: PAF counters IAF strategy.

For one, plans for faster induction of the 230 Sukhoi-30MKIs contracted from Russia in deals worth around $8.5 billion are currently underway. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, for instance, is working towards completing its licensed production of 140 Sukhois by 2013-2014 instead of the earlier 2017-2018.

Interestingly, IAF has drawn up plans to progressively base its new Sukhois on the western front after the eastern front. The Halwara airbase in WAC, which houses the almost moth-balled MiG-23s, will be among the first bases to get the new Sukhois.  The declining Indo-Russian relationship. Delhi scrambles for new arms sources but they come with strings.

Then, of course, after “upgrades” of 125 MiG-21 ‘Bisons’ and around 100 MiG-27s and Jaguars with new weapon and avionics packages, India has signed a $964 million deal with Russia to refit its 63 MiG-29s. A similar deal is in the pipeline with France for IAF’s 51 Mirage-2000s. Chinese J-11s.

The Y-89 AWACS  
Hataf, Ghauri, Babar, Abdali missiles
 
Su-27s and Su-35