India concerned over US military aid to Pak: Naik

New Delhi, Mar 30: Air Chief Marshal PV Naik on Tuesday, Mar 30 said that India has expressed its concern over the US military aid to Pakistan to the Obama administration.

"The aid being given to Pakistan is a matter of concern to us definitely and we have made it known. We have not hidden anything," Naik said soon after taking over as the chairman, chiefs of staffs committee here.

US is scheduled to provide Pakistan with 18 of the Block 52 F-16s, Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigate by winter and Shadow Drones later this year, in addition to F-16 combat jets, air-to-air missiles and other equipment worth millions of dollars which Pakistan has been receiving as military aid.

Along with that Islamabad will also receive equipment which can convert 1,000 traditional munitions into "smart bombs" that can strike targets with precisions.

Earlier, India had asked US to ensure that the arms aid supplied to Pakistan is not used against India.

Asked whether the deal with the American companies to supply 126 combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force would be affected by the military aid, Naik said that the deal would happened as planned.

"As far as 126 multirole combat aircraft deal is concerned, it will be a fair and square assessment... presently, there is no connection between the two."

He said that the IAF was all set to test the six companies, which were offering their aircraft and "after that, we will sit down to finalise it (the award of the contract.)".

On whether India was sending a message to its enemies by testing test-firings of the Agni, Prithvi and Dhanush ballistic missiles, Naik said India does not resort to such tactics.

"Whenever we have to give a message to anybody, we give it loud and clear. Whenever there is a message to be given, we will let you know."

Pakistan has received 14 F-16s, five fast patrol boats, 115 self-propelled howitzer field artillery cannons, more than 450 vehicles, hundreds of night-vision goggles, day and night scopes, radios, protective vests and first aid items to Pakistan's security forces as a military aid from US in the last three years.

With the recent proposed arms aid, the US military aid to Pakistan will increase to $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2011 from $700 million in the current fiscal.

OneIndia News