US Adds Pakistan to Missile Contract, Signaling Renewed Defence Ties

Pakistan's recent inclusion in a US missile contract marks a significant revival of military ties with Washington. The contract involves AIM-120 missiles and could enhance Pakistan's F-16 fleet capabilities.

Pakistan’s inclusion in a recent US missile contract marks a potential revival of military cooperation between Islamabad and Washington. This development comes weeks after President Donald Trump met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the Oval Office.

The US Department of War—formerly the Department of Defense—announced that Pakistan will now receive AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), highlighting a new chapter in bilateral defence collaboration. Raytheon, the missile manufacturer, received an additional USD 41.6 million on an existing contract for producing the C8 and D3 variants of the AMRAAM, bringing the total contract value to over USD 2.51 billion.

Missile Details and International BuyersThe exact number of missiles allocated to Pakistan was not disclosed. Other international buyers under the same agreement include the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. Work on the contract is expected to continue until May 2030.

Analysts speculate that Pakistan may upgrade its F-16 fleet as a result of its inclusion in the AMRAAM programme, since the missile is compatible only with the F-16s operated by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The missile gained attention in 2019 when it was reportedly used to down an Indian Air Force MiG-21 piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

The AIM-120C8 variant allocated to Pakistan is an export version of the AIM-120D, the most advanced AMRAAM currently in US service. Pakistan previously acquired around 500 units of the older C5 variant with its Block 52 F-16s in 2010.

Improved Bilateral RelationsThis move reflects warming ties between Islamabad and Washington. Last month, Trump met Sharif and Munir at the White House, following a rare one-on-one meeting with Munir in June. PAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar also visited the US State Department in July.

Relations between the two nations improved further following a brief India-Pakistan conflict in May, during which Pakistan credited Trump for helping broker a ceasefire. India, however, stated that direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations led to the truce.