ISLAMABAD, 14 April 2006 — Pakistan’s Cabinet has given its air force clearance to open negotiations to buy 36 Jian-10 fighter aircraft from China and 62 F-16s from the United States, defense officials said yesterday.
The officials confirmed a report in the Business Recorder newspaper that gave a breakdown of the air force’s shopping list. It included 36 modified versions of China’s Jian-10 aircraft, along with 26 F-16s of Type A and B, and 18 F-16s of the latest Block 50/52 C and D type models, with an option for 18 more.
The newspaper, quoting an official document, reported that in addition to the aircraft, the government gave approval for purchase of 300 Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles of SD-10 type and 500 BVRs from the United States, 18 targeting pods and 500 joint direct attack munitions.
Meanwhile, Yemen has expressed keen interest in buying armored personnel carriers from Pakistan, Director General of the Defense Export Promotion Organization Maj. Gen. Sayed Absar Hussain told Arab News yesterday.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh who visited the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) on Tuesday expressed his interest in acquiring the APCs. President Saleh left Pakistan yesterday after completing his two-day visit.
He was seen off at the Chaklala Air Base by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Pakistan began production of the US designed M113 armored personnel carriers in 1999 under franchise from the United States.
