US to sell missiles, defence material to Pak: DSCA

Washington, July 1: The United States will sell Pakistan a long list of major defence equipment including Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), SIDEWINDER missiles and a host of bombs and defence material, according to the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

DSCA sources however, today said the purchase of these weapons systems would not significantly reduce "India's quantitative or qualitative military advantage".

''Release of the weapons systems will neither affect the regional balance of power nor introduce a new technology as this level of capability that already exists in other countries in the region,'' the sources said.

The DSCA's proposed sale, estimated to cost 650 million dollars will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States will help Pakistan meet its legitimate defence requirements. These weapon systems will be used for close air support in ongoing operations contributing to the Global war on terrorism.

Consistent with the US conventional arms transfer policy and arms control initiatives, this potential sale will allow the Pakistani Air Force to modernise its aging fighter and weapons inventory, thereby enabling it to support both its own air defence needs and coalition operations.

''There will be no adverse impact on the US defencse readiness as a result of this proposed sale," the sources added.

The Bush administration has agreed to sell all that Pakistan has asked for in view of its geo-strategic location and partnership in the Global War on Terrorism.

"Pakistan is a vital ally of the United States, as reflected in the June 2004 designation of Pakistan as a Major Non-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Ally" a DSCA press release said.

The sale of the major weapons was in accordance with the request from Pakistan, which, the DSCA says, wanted besides the F-16s, a large quantity of major defence equipment including 500 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, 12 AMRAAM training missiles 240 LAU-129/A Launchers; 200 AIM-9M-8/9 SIDEWINDER missiles; 500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Guidance Kits: GBU-31/38 Guided Bomb Unit (GBU) kits; 1,600 Enhanced-GBU-12/24 GBUs; 800 MK-82 500 pound General Purpose (GP) and MK-84 2,000 pound GP bombs.

Besides Pakistan has also nasked for Associated support equipment, software development/integration, modification kits, capable of employing a wide variety of munitions, spares and repair parts.

UNI