US F-16 upgrade deal for Pakistan is making India anxious, wary, claims Chinese media

The improved US-Pakistan relationship, as evidenced by the recent approval by the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) for the sale of advanced technology and support for F-16 fighter jets at a cost of $686 million, is making India “wary”, claimed a Chinese media report.

The sale package, which includes Link16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support, is aimed at supporting the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States and modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns, according to DSCA. The refurbishment will extend the aircraft’s life through 2040 while also addressing critical flight safety concerns.

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According to South China Morning Post, the increased defence and minerals cooperation between Islamabad and Washington has “stirred anxiety” in India as the upgaded deal for the Pakistan fighter jets shows a warming of US-Pakistan ties

The improved relationship between the US and Pakistan “on the whole is a friction point in US-India relations, which are going through their own twists and turns,” Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.

According to SCMP, the growing ties between the Pakistan and the US were also reflected in the rapport between Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and US President Donald Trump.

Another expert quoted by SCMP claimed that the interests of China and the US align with those of Pakistan when it comes to “constraining India’s quest for regional pre-eminence”. “But New Delhi has yet to reckon with this uncomfortable truth,” he claimed in a social media post.