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Letter of request expected for Lockheed jets, but China has yet to confirm deal for advanced fighters
Pakistan has unveiled plans to acquire 18 new Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds and 26 used F-16A/Bs as part of a major expansion of its fighter fleet, which will also include Chinese Chengdu FC-1s and potentially Chengdu J-10s.
Industry sources say Islamabad is preparing a letter of request for 18 Block 52 F-16C/Ds plus 18 options. The document is expected to be sent to Washington within the next few weeks, with Congress to be notified of the pending deal by late May. Sources say a letter of agreement could be signed late this year for deliveries from 2009.
Last April, Islamabad issued a request for 55 new F-16C/Ds plus 20 options, but withdrew it following a catastrophic earthquake in November, just before Congress was to be notified of the deal. Pakistan has since reduced the acquisition to only 18 firm aircraft to reflect new constraints on its budget caused by ongoing disaster recovery efforts (Flight International, 28 March
