RB News World Latest News
Related Articles
The US and Pakistan have been growing closer since Operation Sindoor. New evidence of this has emerged from a missile defense deal between the two countries. Pakistan is likely to receive AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) from the US. According to a report in the Express Tribune, Pakistan is among the AIM-120 AMRAAM buyers in a recently notified arms agreement by the US Department of War (DoW).
According to a PTI report, the notification states, “This agreement covers foreign military sales to the United Kingdom, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey.” While it is unclear how many new AMRAAM missiles will be delivered to Pakistan, this news has sparked discussions about the advancement of the Pakistani Air Force’s F-16 fleet.
Deal Discussed After Trump, Shahbaz, and Asim Meeting
This deal comes just days after a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Army Chief General Asim Munir. During the meeting, Trump stated that he played a role in reducing the growing tensions between India and Pakistan. Defense experts believe that this contract signals a new strategic closeness between Pakistan and the United States. The US may attempt to balance the influence of China and Russia through this deal.
Speculation about the upgrade of F-16 fighter jets
Following this missile deal, it is being speculated that Pakistan may upgrade its F-16 fighter jet fleet. According to a report in the Express Tribune, AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles can be used with F-16 aircraft. Pakistan used this missile against Indian aircraft during the air skirmish between India and Pakistan in February 2019. This deal is now considered another major step towards enhancing the capabilities of F-16 aircraft.
Technical Capabilities of the AIM-120C8 Missile
The AIM-120C8 is a new version of the US AIM-120D missile. It is a medium-range air-to-air missile manufactured by Raytheon (now RTX Corporation).
The key features of this missile are as follows:
Range: 160 to 180 kilometers, depending on the launch platform.
Speed: Mach 4, approximately four times the speed of sound.
Guidance: Active radar homing system, which helps with precise targeting.
Capability: Can engage multiple aerial targets simultaneously.
This missile is used in aircraft such as the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado, and F-35. It is also used in ground-based air defense systems such as NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System), which has been adopted by the United States, Norway, Poland, and Ukraine.
What does this deal mean for India?
This potential deal is strategically important for India. Pakistan’s acquisition of AIM-120 missiles and F-16 upgrades will improve its air power. Although India already has advanced fighters like Rafale and Sukhoi-30MKI, which use Meteor missiles, the possible Pakistan-US missile deal could create new tensions in the regional power balance.
