By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The United States has moved to extend the operational life of F-16 fighters flown by more than 20 partner nations, including Pakistan, with a $488 million engineering and technical support contract awarded to Northrop Grumman this week.
The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract covers engineering and technical assistance for the APG-66 and APG-68 radars used across the F-16 fleet. Work will be performed at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Linthicum Heights, Md., and is scheduled to run through March 31, 2036, the US Air Force said. The service awarded the contract on a sole-source basis on April 27. At the time of the award, $2.6 million in fiscal 2026 funds had been obligated.
The deal falls under the Foreign Military Sales program and supports F-16 requirements for the Air Force and Navy as well as partner nations. The list of participating countries includes Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Thailand and Türkiye.
Pakistan, which operates roughly 50 F-16s acquired from the United States in the 1980s under the Peace Gate program, has long relied on American support to maintain and upgrade the aircraft, among the most capable in its air force. Each jet is valued at a minimum of $40 million. Pakistani officials have previously cited challenges in keeping the fleet current with technical updates.
The radar-support contract comes months after the United States approved a separate $686 million package of advanced technology and equipment specifically for Pakistan’s F-16s. In a Dec. 8, 2025, notification to Congress, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale would include 92 Link-16 data-link systems for secure communications, six inert Mk-82 500-pound bomb bodies, cryptographic equipment, avionics modifications, precision-navigation upgrades, weapons-integration support, training and extensive spare parts.
The agency described the package as essential for modernizing Pakistan’s Block-52 and mid-life-upgrade F-16s and addressing operational safety concerns. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with U.S. and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations,” the letter to lawmakers stated. It added that the upgrades would “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block-52 and Mid Life Upgrade F-16 fleet.”
The timing of the December approval coincided with a period of renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Islamabad. The Trump administration had warmed to Pakistan following recent meetings between President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, according to officials familiar with the discussions. The F-16 has been a cornerstone of U.S.-Pakistan military cooperation for decades, even as relations between the two countries have fluctuated. The latest contracts reflect Washington’s continued interest in sustaining Pakistan’s ability to operate the jets in counterterrorism missions while preserving compatibility with American and allied forces.
The Air Force Lifecycle Management Center at Hill Air Force Base in Utah is the contracting authority for the Northrop Grumman agreement. No additional financial details beyond the $488 million ceiling and the initial obligation were released.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
